A recent study (The Concord-2 global study) undertaken by Macmillan Cancer Support has found that UK cancer survival rates are at, or behind a level, that a number of European countries had achieved by the late 1990s. The research compared five year cancer survival rates for a range of common cancers and showed that survival rates in the UK for some cancers, including breast, colon, lung, and stomach, are ten years behind other European countries.
The recent NHS England Performance Report shows that on cancer waiting times:
• The numbers of patients referred with suspected cancer has grown by 13 per cent between Q3 2014/15 and Q3 2013/14, and the NHS is dealing with on average 45,000 more referrals per quarter
• The standard that 85% of patients should experience a maximum two-month wait from urgent GP referral to their first definitive treatment was 83.6% in Q3 2014/15