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New cancer diagnoses the highest on record

Office for National Statistics says the number of new cases in England is equivalent to 822 a day
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Cancer diagnoses

The number of new cancer cases in England is the highest on record, figures show.


Records for England show the equivalent of 822 new cancer cases a day in 2015,
according to the ONS. Picture: iStock

Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows there were 299,923 new cancer diagnoses registered in 2015, the most in a single year. The ONS said this equates to 822 a day, and the number of new cancer cases in England ‘continues to rise’.

More than half of these cases were breast, prostate, lung or bowel cancer.

Figures for Wales revealed that a total of 19,088 new cancer cases were diagnosed and registered in 2015. Data from the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit showed that this is a 10% increase on figures for ten years earlier.

‘Ever-increasing need’

Macmillan Cancer Support chief executive Lynda Thomas said: ‘NHS professionals are telling us that their workloads have never been greater, and they worry that this pressure may ultimately impact on patient care.

‘The fact that cancer waiting time targets are regularly missed is another warning sign of services struggling to cope.’ She said action is required to equip the NHS to meet this ever-increasing need.

Breast cancer accounted for 15.4% of all new cancer cases in England, prostate cancer 13.4%, lung cancer 12.5% and bowel cancer 11.6%.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: ‘These figures are a tribute to NHS staff, who are diagnosing more cancers every year and increasing patients’ chances of survival. Survival rates are now at record levels.

‘We need to do even more, so we are implementing the recommendations of the independent cancer taskforce’s five-year strategy, which will help make us world leaders in care, supported by an extra £300 million.’


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