The predicted total includes 890,000 women with breast cancer (Image: Getty)
The number of people living with in the UK will reach a record high of 3.4 million this year, analysis suggests.
Projections by the charity Macmillan Cancer Support show that roughly half a million more people will be living with cancer by the end of 2025 than five years ago. Some 2.9 million were living with condition at the end of 2020.
The estimated 3.4 million people who will be living with cancer as of December 2025 includes around 890,000 women with , 610,000 men with , 390,000 people with and 120,000 with .
Cases are being fuelled by a growing and ageing population, a gradual rise in survival rates for some cancers and an increase in people diagnosed with types such as thyroid, liver and melanoma.
Macmillan warned that the experience of having cancer was getting worse for many people, with an “unacceptable cancer care gap” between the best and worst care.
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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% 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 those from ethnic minority backgrounds and the LGBTQ+ community, Macmillan said.
The charity’s chief executive, Gemma Peters, added: “The number of people living with cancer in the UK is rising, and for many, things are getting worse.
“There are unacceptable gaps between the best and worst experiences, and people are being left behind.”
data for England shows the proportion of patients who had waited no longer than 62 days in November from an urgent suspected cancer referral or consultant upgrade to their first definitive treatment for cancer was 69.4% in November, up from 68.2% in October. The target is 85%.
GPs in England made 259,563 urgent cancer referrals in November, down from 279,063 in October and down year-on-year from 270,549 in November 2023.
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A total of 77.4% of patients urgently referred for suspected cancer were diagnosed or had cancer ruled out within 28 days. This was up from 77.1% the previous month and above the target of 75%.
Urging British politicians to “revolutionise cancer care for the future”, Ms Peter said: “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 Governments’ chance to shape its legacy for generations to come.” Dame Laura Lee, chief executive of cancer support charity Maggie’s, said: “The Government will launch their new cancer strategy in the coming weeks.
“With record numbers of people living with cancer, it is vital that this plan invests in supporting them to live well and remain valued members of society, in addition to investing in early diagnosis and outcomes.”