The number of Britons living with cancer will hit a new high of 3.4 million people this year, analysis suggests.
In 2025, half a million more people will be living with cancer than in 2020, research from cancer support charity Macmillan has found, driven by an ageing population, increases in survival rates and a rise in people diagnosed with melanoma, thyroid and liver cancer.
The increase in people living with cancer by December 2025 includes about 890,000 women with breast cancer, 610,000 men with prostate cancer, 390,000 people with bowel cancer and 120,000 people with lung cancer.
But Macmillan warned the experience of having cancer was also getting worse for many people, with delays to treatment and sometimes a postcode lottery of care.
A YouGov poll of more than 2,000 people last year found a third felt it was harder to be living with cancer now than at any other time they could remember, increasing to 48 per cent of those who also had a serious disability.
Analysis of NHS data also suggests many people with cancer are reporting poorer experiences across several areas of care, including people from ethnic minority backgrounds and those from the LGBTQ+ community, Macmillan said.
The charity’s chief executive Gemma Peters said there were real people with unique challenges behind the figures.
“The number of people living with cancer in the UK is rising, and for many, things are getting worse,” she said.
“There are unacceptable gaps between the best and worst experiences, and people are being left behind.”
Ameena Westwood, 53, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017, and after an all-clear received the bad news last year that her cancer had returned and was now stage 4.
Ms Westwood, who has dual Yemani and English heritage, said she has done lots of work in her community to raise awareness of the genetic risks of cancer. Several close family members of hers were also diagnosed with cancer: first her mother with breast cancer in 2016, herself, and then her father with stomach cancer.
She said: “He died a year later, and my sister also found a lump in her breast. As a family, we felt it was inevitable that we would all end up with cancer. We were sure there was a genetic link with our diagnoses, but our concerns were dismissed.
“Luckily, my father had taken part in a genomic trial before he died. Finally, in 2022, we received confirmation that he had carried a faulty BCRA2 gene, and we were given access to testing.
She added: “I opted for preventative surgery and had my ovaries removed. My daughter had a preventative mastectomy, and we all felt so let down by doctors. But rather than being angry at the system, I channelled my anger into making change for communities instead.
Ms Peters said the charity supports people living with cancer each day and sees how it affects people’s relationships, work and finances, “and how this can be even worse for some, simply because of who they are or where they live”. “This must change,” she added.
“Better is possible, but only if we approach cancer care differently. Governments across the UK have a unique opportunity to revolutionise cancer care for the future.
“By addressing the cancer care gap and ensuring every patient – no matter who they are or where they live – can access world-class care, we can set a new standard for the UK. This is the government’s chance to shape its legacy for generations to come.”
It comes after the Less Survivable Cancer Taskforce last week called for more government funding for research and treatments for lung, liver, brain, oesophagus, pancreas and stomach cancer, which combined account for roughly half of all cancer deaths each year in the UK.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson previously said: “When it comes to fighting cancer, every second counts. This government will get the NHS catching cancers earlier through early diagnosis and screening programmes, so that it can be treated faster and so more lives can be saved.
“As we deliver our Plan for Change, we will make the NHS fit for the future and fight cancer on all fronts – through prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and research.”
