70 per cent of Brits now beating cancer ‘thanks to improved NHS diagnosis and treatment’

THOUSANDS more Brits are now beating cancer thanks to earlier NHS diagnosis and treatment.

More than seven in 10 patients survived for at least one year after discovering they have a common tumour in 2014.

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NHS boss Simon Stevens says it meant 2,400 more people were still alive after 12 months compared to 2013.

One-year survival is now up 10 per cent in the past decade, from 63.1 to 70.4.

But the picture is not all positive.

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NHS stats also reveal numbers waiting longer than two months for cancer treatment has rocketed by 78 per cent in the past five years.

More than 85 per cent of patients should start receiving hospital care within two months of being referred by their GP.

But that target has been missed for almost three years.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “We fear this means cancer care going backwards, not forwards.”

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Around 350,000 Brits are diagnosed with cancer each year.

Mr Stevens, NHS chief executive, yesterday announced which 15 hospitals will get new radiotherapy machines.

And £200 million cash will be spent over the next two years to boost early diagnosis and improve patient care.

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Speaking at the Britain Against Cancer conference in London, Mr Stevens said: “Across the country, the NHS is now making great strides in upgrading modern cancer radiotherapy equipment and ensuring faster access to the most promising new cancer drugs.

“Because the quality of NHS cancer care has improved so much over the past year, an extra two thousand families will be able to celebrate the Christmas holiday with a loved one who has successfully survived cancer.”

Fay Scullion, from Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “People with cancer need ongoing support to help them to cope during and after their treatment, including help getting back to work once they are well enough or emotional support. People shouldn’t just survive cancer but be able to live as well as they possibly can.”