Cancer cases in UK reach record level as population ages
Around one person is diagnosed every 80 seconds.
The number of cancer cases have reached a record level in the UK, with around one person diagnosed every 80 seconds.
Analysis of figures by Cancer Research UK shows more than 403,000 people are diagnosed with the disease every year, largely due to a growing and ageing population, with people more likely to develop the disease as they age.
The charity warned that NHS services are struggling to cope with rising demand, with cancer waiting times across the UK among the worst on record.
Its new Cancer in the UK Report 2026 shows incidences have risen to 620 per 100,000 people in a decade (from 610), while cases diagnosed at an early stage have barely changed (from 54% to 55%).
Death rates have fallen and the proportion of people surviving a decade or more has risen, but Cancer Research UK said this progress is at risk of stalling, in part due to pressure on cancer services.
It said the Government’s recently published National Cancer Plan for England is a “crucial step” towards improving care, but there needs to be “funding and resources to translate ambition into impact”.
Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said: “More people are being diagnosed with cancer than ever before.
“Although cancer survival has doubled since the 1970s, progress has slowed over the last decade.
“The UK Government’s recently published National Cancer Plan for England could make a big difference, but only if it turns into improvements for cancer patients.
“Publishing the plan is not a ‘job done’ on cancer: ambitions to diagnose cancers earlier, meet cancer wait targets and improve best practice treatment must happen quickly.”
The charity wants screening programmes such as for lung cancer to be rolled out widely and effectively and the rollout of innovative cancer tests to be accelerated.
Around 107,000 cancer patients were waiting more than 62 days to start treatment across the UK in 2025, it said.
Cancer Research UK praised the Government’s commitments to meet waiting times targets in England but said the situation is much worse in Northern Ireland and called for more investment nationwide in specialist staff and equipment.
The Department of Health has been contacted for comment.