The latest statistics show that half of all people diagnosed with cancer in England and Wales today will survive for at least 10 years, which experts have hailed as a “tipping point” in the global fight against cancer. The news was widely covered in the media, such as Telegraph, the Independent, and Guardian.

Survival rates on variant type of cancers

Cancer Research UK says that by the 2030s, it is realistic to expect that as many as three in every four cancer patients would survive 10 years after diagnosis. By contrast, the 10-year survival rate was as low as one in four In the 1970s.

Survival rates for nearly all cancers are increasing every year. In the past 40 years, the 10-year survival rate for testicular cancer has increased from 69 to 98 percent ; for malignant melanoma from 46 to 89 per cent; and for prostate cancer from 25 to 84 percent, according to research carried out by a team at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

But it’s not all good news. Just one percent of pancreatic cancer patients and five per cent of lung cancer patients diagnosed today are expected to survive 10 years. Cancer Research UK has worked to increase research into these cancers but change has been slower than hoped.

Scholars’ views

Dr Harpal Kumar as the charity’s chief executive says “the past 20 years have seen an explosion in our understanding of the disease. In 20 years’ time, we want three quarters of the people who hear those words: ‘you’ve got cancer’, to also hear the words: ‘but don’t worry you’ll be fine’. We firmly believe that’s achievable.”

Paula Young as Cancer Research UK’s spokeswoman for East Anglia says“Every year, tens of thousands more people are surviving cancer a decade after diagnosis, showing that we’re gradually reversing the tide on this devastating disease. This is thanks to the work of our scientists and doctors, but none of it would be possible without the generosity of the public, whose donations we rely on to fund all our research.”