A new Europe-wide report in the Lancet Oncology revealed improvements in cancer survival and predicted that large variations in survival between different nations may soon be reduced. However, the report also reveals that cancer survival in the UK is still below the European average and is similar to some eastern European countries that spend less than a third of the UK's healthcare budget per person.
The report also showed that survival rates are improving overall – particularly for colorectal, breast, thyroid and prostate cancers. However, in the case of breast cancer, for example, there is still a difference of 8.5% of five-year survival rates between the UK and Sweden.
Cancer Research UK, the charity, pointed out that cancer experts have noted that much of the data contained in the report was collated before major investments were made in UK cancer care. The government introduced the Cancer Plan in 2000 following public reaction to the first Eurocare report, which placed the UK near the bottom of the European league table.
However, Professor Richard Sullivan, Cancer Research UK's director of clinical programmes, said that the report showed "encouraging improvements for the UK".
"While there are genuine differences in the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients between the UK and other European countries, the degree of that difference remains uncertain. Comparisons between countries are difficult because survival data are not collected in the same way in all places," he said.
"Partly as a result of the political impetus provided by the first Eurocare study, the NHS Cancer Plan was published to reorganise, standardise and rejuvenate cancer services. Although these figures don't cover much time since the Cancer Plan was introduced, they show how it had already begun to make a difference," he insisted.
Professor Sullivan noted that cancer is still not being diagnosed early enough in all cases, and that patients need to be assured of access to the best surgery, radiotherapy and other treatments.
