UK 10 Years Behind Europe On Cancer Survival

Survival rates for cancer in the UK are trailing behind other European countries by 10 years, a charity has warned.

Macmillan Cancer Support analysed the most recent results from global research into cancer survival and found many countries were doing better in the 1990s than the UK has managed to date.

The charity's chief executive has urged political leaders to commit to tackling the "shameful" survival rates ahead of the General Election.

"This analysis exposes the harsh reality that because UK cancer survival rates are lagging so far behind the rest of Europe, people are dying needlessly," Lynda Thomas said.

"What we can see here is that better cancer survival rates are not unachievable.

"If countries like Sweden, France, Finland and Austria can achieve these rates, then the UK can and should bridge the gap."

While 14% of patients in Austria diagnosed with lung cancer between 1995 and 1999 survived, just 10% of patients diagnosed between 2005 and 2009 in the UK have done so.

Between 2005 and 2009, 19% of people with stomach cancer survived in the UK - the figure was 31% for those diagnosed in Italy between 1995 and 1999 and 30% in Austria.

Just over half (54%) of people diagnosed with colon cancer in the UK between 2005 and 2009 survived, but 59% for those diagnosed in Finland between 1995 and 1999 survived.

While 81% of people diagnosed with the most common type of the disease - breast cancer - between 2005 and 2009 in the UK survived, 84% did in Sweden and France during the earlier period, and 83% did in Italy.

National clinical director for cancer at NHS England Sean Duffy said: "We are diagnosing and treating more people than ever before in this country and as a result the NHS is helping more people than ever survive cancer.

"We have come on leaps and bounds since this 2009 data highlighted by Macmillan, but we have an ambition to save even more lives and it's time to take a fresh look at how we can do better."