Early cancer diagnosis in England reaches highest level
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The number of patients being diagnosed with cancer at an early stage in England has risen to its highest level, according to NHS analysis. The latest data – which focuses on 13 of the most common cancers, such as breast, prostate and lung cancer – shows nearly three in five patients are being diagnosed at stages one or two, when the cancer is easier to treat.
The NHS said the news follows a major drive over the last two years to encourage millions of people to come forward for potentially life-saving checks. This includes those who may be at a higher risk because of hereditary or lifestyle factors. New data shows almost 60% (58.7%) of common cancers diagnosed between September 2023 and August 2024 were identified at an early stage.
The NHS said this marked an improvement of 2.7 percentage points on pre-pandemic levels, equating to roughly 7,000 additional patients diagnosed at an early stage. Dame Cally Palmer, national cancer director for NHS England, said: “Lives are saved when cancers are caught early – and following a major drive on early detection in recent years, it’s really encouraging to see more people than ever are now being diagnosed at an earlier stage.
“There is still much more to do to save more lives and we will not let up in our efforts to catch more cancers earlier, where treatment is more likely to be successful. “NHS teams across the country are continuing to take tests and checks closer to people who need them, and with new treatments being made available all the time, we will continue to do all we can to get people seen and treated for cancer as early as possible.”.
