Cancer survival rates

The King's Fund considers the UK's record on cancer survival and the government's Cancer outcomes strategy. The report looks at variations in survival rates, where there remains a notable north-south divide and significant variations for some ethnic groups. However one particularly strong variation is in the survival rates of older people, where the UK lags significantly behind other European countries, especially for lung, ovarian and colorectal cancer. Focus for improvement, the report stresses, should be on reducing delays in diagnosis and improving access to radiotherapy and surgery, as well as primary prevention. Tackling health inequalities and addressing cancer care for older people will also improve cancer outcomes.