London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Cancer death rates across the UK have dropped by 22% since the 1970s, according to the latest Cancer in the UK Report 2025 published by Cancer Research UK.  

The report provides the most up-to-date analysis of long-term trends in cancer incidence and mortality across the UK, and shows that while deaths from cancer have dropped, the number of diagnoses have increased by almost 50%.  

The findings suggest that people in the UK are now more likely to develop cancer than ever before and that the 47% rise in cancer incidence may have been driven largely by population ageing, smoking and rising obesity levels. Nearly 1,100 people are diagnosed with cancer every day.  

Although cancer survival has improved, there are still significant challenges across cancer care. The report found that the proportion of cancers diagnosed early in England has remained at 54% for nearly a decade and while bowel screening rates improved with the rollout of the faecal immunochemical test (FIT), uptake of breast and cervical screening continues to decline in many parts of the UK. It estimates that screening programmes may have saved around 5,000 lives a year, but participation remains uneven.  

Smoking was found to have caused around one in five cancer deaths annually, and obesity, which is now at its highest level, was linked to approximately 5% of cancer deaths in the UK.  

Cancer Research UK has supported research on cancer inequalities at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine for the past 20 years, including through funding for the Inequalities in Cancer Outcomes Network (ICON). Numerous studies conducted by the ICON group and others have consistently shown that systemic factors, such as the organisation and delivery of healthcare services, play a dominant role in driving and sustaining cancer inequalities, far more than individual-level factors like personal behaviours or genetics.   

These inequalities are not limited to the point of diagnosis but occur across the entire cancer care pathway including during treatment, highlighting the need for a comprehensive and equitable approach in any new national cancer strategy.  

Commenting on the report, Professor Bernard Rachet, Principal Investigator of ICON at LSHTM, said the data highlights the importance of addressing deep-rooted inequalities and system-level failings.  

Professor Rachet said: “This report is welcome, and Cancer Research UK is right to highlight the dramatic progress made, particularly in cancer prevention, detection, and treatment, over recent decades. Despite these advances, cancer remains a major public health challenge.  

"The UK faces two persistent and deeply interconnected issues: survival remains lower than in other similarly wealthy countries, and there are enduring socio-demographic inequalities in who benefits from improvements in care. Gaps in cancer care reflect a wider failure of the health system to convert innovation into widespread and equitable impact.  

Dr Manuela Quaresma, an Assistant Professor of ICON at LSHTM, said: “We fully support Cancer Research UK’s call for the upcoming National Cancer Plan for England to address these systemic challenges.  

"The UK has played a central role in global cancer research breakthroughs, but advanced technologies alone will not close these gaps. The benefits of progress have not been equitably distributed, and the next Cancer Plan must be developed in close dialogue with the communities most affected by inequality." 

LSHTM’s ICON programme works in close partnership with Cancer Research UK to provide rigorous, patient-centred evidence that supports policy change and improves the quality and equity of cancer care. This shared vision is grounded in collaboration with patients, the public, and policymakers to ensure that innovations in cancer care translate into better outcomes for all.