The Guardian view on cancer survival rates: there is good news about healthcare amid the gloom | Editorial

NCancer Research UK’s new analysis, revealing a 29% drop in the rate of cancer deaths compared to 40 years ago, is a vital counterpoint to bleak health headlines about the UK lagging behind other countries and the NHS failing to meet its own cancer targets. Professor Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, made a related point at a recent conference. Take a step back from day to day, he said, and you’ll see the extraordinary progress enabled by vaccination and other advances in treatment and public health.

This longer-term view is no reason for complacency or inaction. England’s latest cancer plan, launched last month, exposed shocking failings including long waits for treatment and a failure to tackle inequalities in cancer mortality dating back 15 years. Last year, a Guardian analysis found that around three-quarters of NHS trusts were failing to meet standards around diagnosis and treatment.

Over the past decade, deaths from kidney, liver, and some other cancers have increased. And Brexit has had a negative impact on the development of new treatments, with researchers facing a more challenging environment for clinical trials. A report last year highlighted the increased difficulty of international collaboration, with reduced access to grants and border controls hampering the ability of experts to travel.

One in two people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives and cancer care is a high priority for voters. The total number of people who die from this disease continues to increase as the population ages. Outlining the government’s new policy, Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, and Ashley Dalton, the Health Minister, both spoke about their own experiences of treatment. Last week, Ms Dalton, who suffered from advanced breast cancer, resigned from her ministerial post citing the effects of chemotherapy.

But the 11% decline in the overall cancer death rate over the past decade must be recognized and celebrated. Around a quarter of the UK’s estimated 600,000 annual deaths are from cancer. Over time, improved survival rates translate into additional years of life for millions of people. In the context of concerns about adult social protection, increasing longevity can sometimes appear to be a problem. But while the aging population presents challenges for policymakers and loved ones of older people who need care, we must never forget that it is a direct consequence of the fact that more of us survive illness and fewer of us die when we are younger.

Some of the most important recent improvements are in outcomes for ovarian, stomach, and lung cancers. In their plan to fight cancer, ministers pledged to make dramatic new advances, including genomic testing for all patients who could benefit. The task they now face is how to implement such innovations in ways that narrow rather than widen the gap between the richest and poorest people.

As Professor Whitty highlighted in his speech last week, medical expertise is concentrated in wealthier, healthier areas, while obesity – which is linked to multiple cancers and other diseases – is more prevalent in deprived communities. Stronger prevention and public health measures, including stricter regulation of junk food, as well as scientific advances, will be necessary for the more positive trends of recent decades to continue.