Five-year survival rates of most common cancers show little improvement

The five-year survival of bad, prostate and bowel cancer has hardly improved over the past decade, according to new figures.

Data badyzed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that survival for these key cancers, newly diagnosed every year in more than 100,000 people in the United Kingdom, has remained relatively static over the last decade.

But other cancers, including lung, kidney and myeloma cancers have all shown much greater improvements in five-year survival.

The ONS found that five-year bad cancer survival was 83.6% for the years 2006-2010.

This figure increased slightly to 85.6% in the years 2009-2013, before falling to 85%, then to 85.3% in 2012-2016.

At the same time, the five-year survival rate for gut cancer among men and women was 57.9% in 2006-2010 and 59.1% in 2012-2016.

The prostate cancer survival rate also increased slightly, with a five-year survival rate of 84.9% in 2006-2010, before reaching 87.1% in 2012-2016.

Macmillan Cancer's support said it was "worrisome to find that five-year survival rates for some of the most common cancers show little signs of improvement in the past few years."

For kidney cancer, five-year survival showed relatively large improvements over the same period, from 52.7% to 63.3%.

Lung cancer increased from 10.4% to 15.3% and myeloma from 42.5% to 51.7%.

Global data for England also showed that the earlier cancer is diagnosed, the higher the chances of survival.

People who have been diagnosed at the earliest stages – stage 1 – with skin cancer, prostate cancer or bad cancer have the same chances of being alive at the end of one year as the population in general.

However, people diagnosed with stage 4 cancer – when the disease has spread to at least one other organ – are far more likely to have a dark outlook.

Pancreatic cancer had the lowest survival estimate after one year for men (23.7%) and women (25.3%) and the lowest survival estimate after five years men (6.4%) and women (7.5%).

Cutaneous melanoma had the highest net survival estimate for one-year survival in men (97.4%) and women (98.6%) and for five-year survival in men ( 89.2%) and women (93.9%).

Sarah Caul, Cancer Analysis Manager at ONS, said, "In general, we have seen an increase in people's chances of surviving for different types of cancer since our estimates for 2006-2010."

She added, "This is the first time we have been able to examine this issue in more detail to determine how survival estimates may change based on disease status at the time of diagnosis.

"This research shows a mixed picture, but emphasizes the need for awareness and early diagnosis."

Fran Woodard, Executive Director of Policy and Impact at Macmillan Cancer Support, said, "These new figures give a contrasting picture of people with cancer in England.

"It is disturbing to see that five-year survival rates for some of the most common cancers show little sign of improvement in recent years.

"We have been encouraged by the focus on improving cancer treatment in the recent long-term plan for the NHS in England, and the news of today shows that it is the only way to improve the treatment of cancer. The scale of the challenge and the urgent need for a fully funded workforce strategy to meet the ambition of getting cancer results here to be the best in the world. "