The number of patients undergoing urgent cancer tests has exceeded three million in a year for the first time, more than double the number in the last decade.
The latest NHS figures show a record 3,035,698 people were referred for checks from March 2023 to February this year.
The figure is 150,000 more than during the same period in 2022-23 and more than double the 1,335,350 tested between March 2013 and February 2014.
The increasing number of referrals is part of a campaign to diagnose the disease earlier so it can be treated more easily and effectively.
Today, more cancers than ever are detected in stages one and two before they spread to surrounding tissues.
The number of patients undergoing urgent cancer tests has exceeded three million in a year for the first time, more than double that of the last decade (file photo)
The push is fueled by the Princess of Wales’s bold announcement last month that she will receive preventative chemotherapy after unspecified abdominal surgery.
More than 250,000 checks were carried out in February alone, an increase of more than 10 percent compared to the same month in 2023.
Last week, the NHS surpassed its 28-day diagnosis target for the first time, with more than three-quarters of patients (78 per cent) being given the all-clear or a diagnosis within four weeks of an urgent referral for from your family doctor.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS clinical director of cancer and one of Britain’s leading specialists, said the record number of tests is evidence that more people are coming forward when they have worrying signs or symptoms.
“Cancer caught early gives people a much better chance of receiving successful treatment,” he said.
‘That’s why we’re hugely focused on finding new ways to reach people in their communities, from lung trucks and liver vans to community diagnostic centres.
‘Every year we see new treatments and technologies reach patients.
“While I know that coming forward is not always easy and that people worry about the outcome, I would really encourage anyone who has a symptom that could be cancer to get tested without delay.”
‘Talking about cancer also helps save lives, so if you see friends and loved ones having health problems, encourage them to get checked. The NHS wants to see people as quickly as possible.
The campaign to encourage people to get tested includes cancer awareness messages on toilet paper and urinal mats in pubs and football fields.
Latest NHS figures show a record 3,035,698 people were referred for checks from March 2023 to February this year (file photo)
The Health Service has also committed to eliminating cervical cancer by 2040, setting out plans to increase HPV vaccination and screening to save thousands of lives each year.
Health Minister Andrew Stephenson said: “A cancer diagnosis is devastating for both patients and their families.
“But we know that the earlier cancer is detected, the better the chances of a positive result, so I welcome the news that the NHS has carried out a record number of cancer checks over the past year.
‘We are committed to caring for and treating cancer patients through earlier diagnosis and improving survival rates, and have invested record funding in cancer support, including £2.3bn for 160 community diagnostic centres.
“Thanks to these types of innovations, cancer screening and measures to help people quit smoking, survival rates are improving for almost all types of cancer.”