Government announces plans for earlier diagnosis for cancer patients

4 Oct 2018 01:51 PM

The announcement forms part of how the government will achieve its ambition to see 55,000 more people in England surviving cancer every year.

As part of the long-term plan for the NHS, a package of measures will be rolled out across the country with the aim of seeing 3 out of 4 of all cancers detected at an early stage by 2028.

The plan will:

Screening programmes will be made more accessible and easier to use. They will be based on the latest breakthrough research and technology. Those at risk will be able to benefit from options including:

Patients diagnosed early, at stages 1 or 2, have the best chance of long-term survival. For example, 96% of people with colorectal cancer diagnosed at stage 1 will survive one year or more, compared with 46% diagnosed at stage 4.

At present, 52% of the top 10 cancers are diagnosed at stages 1 and 2. The government aims to increase this to 75% by 2028.

As part of the new measures the government will:

Funding for yesterday’s announcement will be allocated through NHS England’s long-term plan.

Related content

Cancer research and treatment

National Health Service