NHS England cancer diagnoses at record high with 1,000 people diagnosed every day

While NHS is identifying more cases, it is failing to meet timescale targets on diagnosis and treatment, experts say

Cancer diagnoses in England have hit record highs, with more than 1,000 people a day diagnosed, NHS figures show.

But experts warned that although the health service was identifying more cases, it was still failing to meet timescale targets on diagnosis and treatment.

According to the latest cancer registration statistics, more than 373,000 people were diagnosed with cancer in England in 2024, the highest figure on record. On average, NHS England diagnosed 1,021 people a day with cancer in 2024, up from 972 a day in 2023.

Prostate, breast, lung and bowel cancers accounted for half of all new diagnoses.

The figures showed improvements in stage at diagnosis: 56.7% of first new cancers were diagnosed at stage 1 and 2 in 2024 compared with 55.8% in 2023.

Prof Peter Johnson, the NHS national clinical director for cancer, said the figures showed the health service was “moving in the right direction” and were testimony to NHS staff’s hard work.

He said: “NHS teams across the country are taking tests and checks closer to the people who need them, and with new treatments being developed all the time, we will continue to do all we can to get people seen and treated for cancer as early as possible.”

Experts urged caution, however, given the NHS is failing to meet its timescale targets. The latest monthly NHS figures show that 78.6% of patients in England urgently referred for suspected cancer were diagnosed or had cancer ruled out within 28 days in August – below the target of 80%.

The health service is lagging even further behind on treatment. The proportion of patients who began treatment for cancer within 62 days of an urgent referral or consultant upgrade was 71.9%, well below the target of 85%.

Dr Ian Walker, the executive director of policy at Cancer Research UK, said: “While NHS staff are diagnosing more people with cancer every day, too many are still being caught at a late stage.”

The health service needed additional support to reduce the number of cancers diagnosed at a late stage and treat patients on time, he added.

Walker said: “The UK government pledged to improve early diagnosis, cancer waiting times and access to treatment in its national cancer plan for England. It now needs to keep its foot on the pedal to ensure cancer patients aren’t let down. The situation won’t change without focused effort from the government, clear accountability, and a guarantee that the NHS will get the specialist staff and equipment it needs.”

Dr Hilary Williams, the clinical vice-president at the Royal College of Physicians and a consultant in medical oncology, said: “More than 1,000 cancer diagnoses every day is a stark reminder of the growing demand on NHS cancer services.

“An ageing population is an important factor in the increase in diagnoses, but we must also recognise the role of obesity, which is a major and often overlooked risk factor for cancer.” She added that alongside preventing cancer, the NHS needed to continue improving early detection, including through the expansion of targeted lung cancer screening.

Williams said: “As more people are diagnosed and live longer with cancer, we must ensure they can access the specialist care and support they need.”

Steven McIntosh, the chief partnerships officer at Macmillan Cancer Support, said the figures also masked persistent health inequalities. “We know that who you are and where you live can still have a significant impact on how likely you are to get cancer, as well as how quickly you are diagnosed and your chances of survival,” he said.

Rachael Franklin, the deputy chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, said with diagnoses at an all-time high and overall incidence increasing, “breast cancer remains the biggest killer of working-age women in the UK, with one in seven women diagnosed in their lifetime”.

“That’s why it’s so important that people of all ages are breast aware and get anything new or unusual checked by a GP as soon as possible. We also urge all eligible women to attend their screening appointment when invited,” she said.