Cancer cases in the UK reach highest number ever
Introduction
Every year, more than 403,000 people in the UK find out they have cancer. That is about one person every 80 seconds. The number goes up because people live longer and get older.
Main Body
Cancer Research UK says the number of new cancer cases is now 620 for every 100,000 people. Ten years ago, it was 610. The number of cancers found early did not change much. It went from 54% to 55%. More people are overweight, and that is one reason for more cancer. Fewer people die from cancer now. More people live for ten years or more after cancer. But many patients wait a long time for treatment. In 2025, about 107,000 patients waited more than 62 days to start treatment. The government made a new plan for cancer in England. Cancer Research UK says the plan is important. But the plan needs enough money and people to work. Michelle Mitchell, the charity's leader, says cancer survival is two times better than in the 1970s. But the improvement is slower now. She says the plan must happen quickly. The charity wants more screening tests, like for lung cancer. The Department of Health says they did a record number of tests. They gave extra money to the NHS. More patients get a cancer diagnosis or all-clear on time now. The government wants that by 2035, 75% of patients will be cancer-free or live well after five years. They also plan a new law about tobacco and vapes. Prostate Cancer UK says prostate cancer is a big part of the rise. 64,000 new cases each year. They say early detection is very important. In Northern Ireland, about 10,700 new cancer cases happen each year. That is about 29 per day. Cancer is the top cause of death there. But death rates went down by 18% since the 1970s. Nearly 57% of patients live for at least five years. Survival is much better if cancer is found early: 87% for early stage, 16% for late stage. Breast, prostate, lung, and bowel cancers are 54% of new cases. Cancer rates in Northern Ireland went up by 14% since the 1990s. Rates for women went up 18%, but for men they stayed the same. The charity says this is because smoking-related cancers went down in men but not in women. Liz Morrison from Cancer Research UK says only one-third of patients in Northern Ireland start treatment within 62 days. The target is 95%. She asks the Northern Ireland government to make a plan. A patient, Suzanne Rodgers, had stage four cervical cancer. She is now cancer-free for more than ten years. She says the wait for treatment felt like a 'ticking time-bomb'. She says people should check themselves early and see a doctor quickly.
Conclusion
The UK has more cancer cases than ever before. The main reasons are more older people and a growing population. Survival rates are better, but long waits for treatment are a problem. The government's new plan is important. It needs enough money and quick action. In Northern Ireland, the situation is worse. Many patients wait too long for treatment.