Cancer death rate in Britain down by almost a third since 1980s | Cancer
The rate of people dying from cancer in England has fallen by almost a third since the 1980s due to staggering advances in prevention, diagnosis and treatment, a report has found.
According to an analysis by Cancer Research UK (CRUK), around 247 in every 100,000 people die from cancer each year; this is a 29% decrease from the 1989 peak of 355 per 100,000 people.
Cancer remains Britain’s biggest killer; It causes about one in four deaths, and survival rates lag behind those of many European countries, including Romania and Poland.
But in the last decade alone, the rate of people dying from cancer has fallen by 11%. The death rate from ovarian cancer decreased by 19 percent between 2012-2014 and 2022-2024, stomach cancer by 34 percent, and lung cancer by 22 percent. Colon cancer decreased by 6%, breast cancer by 14%, cervical cancer by 11% and leukemia by 9%. Esophageal cancer death rate dropped by 12%.
However, some rates have increased in the last decade. These included kidney cancer (up to 5%), liver cancer (up to 14%), eye cancer (up to 26%) and gallbladder cancer (up to 29%). Other rates, including thyroid, pancreas and melanoma, remained stable.
CRUK’s science engagement leader Dr. Sam Godfrey said: “These figures represent decades of major scientific breakthroughs. From cancer-preventing vaccines to better, more targeted treatments, so today thousands more people are able to create memories, achieve milestones and spend precious time with loved ones.”
Godfrey said the UK was a global leader in cancer research but future progress could not be taken for granted. “It is crucial that the government makes it easier and faster to carry out clinical trials, as well as providing NHS staff with the time and space to carry out life-saving research.”
Last year the Guardian revealed how British cancer patients were being denied life-saving drugs and trials of revolutionary treatments were derailed by red tape and extra costs brought on by Brexit.
Britain’s departure from the EU has “damaged the practical ability” of doctors to deliver 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 several factors were leading to falling cancer death rates. These include a smoking ban and the introduction of screening programs for breast, bowel and cervical cancers. The charity said death rates from cervical cancer have fallen by 75% since the 1970s, largely thanks to the NHS cervical screening programme.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine administered to school children also reduced cervical cancers. Nearly 6.5 million people have been vaccinated in the UK since it was introduced in 2008.
Meanwhile, death rates from prostate cancer have fallen by 11% over the past decade, thanks in part to better treatments. Abiraterone, a drug that stops testosterone from triggering 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 overall number of deaths from the disease continues to rise.
Despite the large number of people affected, three quarters of NHS hospitals are unable to treat cancer patients, according to a Guardian analysis last year, prompting experts to declare a national emergency.
Last month the government pledged to tackle the crisis by transforming cancer services, promising millions of patients faster diagnosis, faster treatment and more support to live well.
Some cancer performance targets have not been met by the NHS since 2015. Ministers said all three waiting time standards would be reached by 2029 under the national cancer plan.
