Cancer death rate in Britain down by almost a third since 1980s | Cancer
The rate of cancer deaths in the UK has fallen by almost a third since the 1980s, thanks to seismic advances in prevention, diagnosis and treatment, a report has found.
Around 247 people per 100,000 die from cancer each year, a 29% drop from the 1989 peak of around 355 per 100,000, according to analysis by Cancer Research UK (CRUK).
Cancer remains the leading cause of death in Britain, causing around one in four deaths, and survival rates lag behind those in a number of European countries, including Romania and Poland.
However, in the last decade alone, the rate of cancer deaths has decreased by 11%. The ovarian cancer mortality rate decreased by 19% between 2012-2014 and 2022-2024, stomach cancer decreased by 34% and lung cancer by 22%. Bowel cancer fell by 6%, breast cancer by 14%, cervical cancer by 11% and leukemia by 9%. The death rate from esophageal cancer decreased by 12%.
But some rates have increased over the past decade. They included kidney cancer (up 5%), liver cancer (up 14%), eye cancer (up 26%) and gallbladder cancer (up 29%). Other rates remained stable, including those for thyroid, pancreas and melanoma.
Dr Sam Godfrey, Head of Science Engagement at CRUK, said: “These figures represent decades of crucial scientific breakthroughs. From vaccines that prevent cancer to gentler, more targeted treatments. Thanks to this, thousands more people today can create memories, achieve milestones and spend precious time with loved ones.”
The UK is a world leader in cancer research, Godfrey said, but future progress cannot be taken for granted. “It is essential that the Government makes it easier and faster to set up clinical trials, while providing NHS staff with the time and space to carry out life-saving research.”
Last year, the Guardian revealed that British cancer patients were being denied life-saving drugs and that trials of groundbreaking treatments were being derailed by red tape and extra costs brought on by Brexit.
The UK’s exit from the EU has “undermined the practical ability” of doctors to offer life-saving new medicines to NHS patients through international clinical trials, according to the most comprehensive report of its kind.
In the new analysis, CRUK said various factors had led to a decline in cancer death rates. These include the ban on smoking and the deployment of screening programs for breast, bowel and cervical cancers. Cervical cancer death rates have fallen by 75% since the 1970s, largely due to the NHS cervical cancer screening programme, the association said.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, given to schoolchildren, has also been shown to reduce cervical cancer. Around 6.5 million people have received the vaccine in the UK since its introduction in 2008.
Meanwhile, prostate cancer mortality rates have declined by 11% over the past decade, in part due to better treatments. Abiraterone, a drug that stops testosterone from fueling prostate cancer, has been developed by CRUK scientists.
However, a growing and aging population means more people are being diagnosed with cancer – one person every 75 seconds in the UK – and the total number of people dying from the disease continues to rise.
Despite the huge number of people affected, three-quarters of NHS hospitals are not seeing cancer patients, a Guardian analysis found last year, prompting experts to declare a national emergency.
Last month the Government pledged £2 billion to tackle the crisis by transforming cancer services, with millions of patients promised faster diagnoses, faster treatments and more support to live well.
Some cancer performance targets have not been met by the NHS since 2015. Under the National Cancer Plan, all three waiting time standards would be met by 2029, ministers said.
