Cancer is diagnosed in the early stages.

NHS figures in England show that the proportion of patients diagnosed with early-stage cancer has reached its highest level on record.

Data from the 13 most common cancers showed that 58.7% of those diagnosed between September 2023 and August 2024 were diagnosed at stage one and two, increasing the chances of survival.

That’s 2.7 percentage points higher than before the pandemic — and the highest since records began more than 10 years ago.

NHS England said a combination of public awareness campaigns and new screening methods had made a big difference.

But despite progress, England is still struggling to meet its ambition of 75% of stage one and two cancers being diagnosed by 2028.

And the NHS is also failing to meet its target of starting treatment quickly – almost one in three people diagnosed with cancer wait more than 62 days for an urgent referral.

According to one Report of the Nuffield Trust These are all factors in why cancer survival rates in the UK have lagged behind many other comparable countries in the past year.

NHS England’s national cancer director, Dame Kelly Palmer, admitted there was still more to do.

But he added: “Lives are saved when cancers are caught early – and after a major campaign for early detection in recent years, it’s really encouraging that more people than ever are being diagnosed at an early stage. is.”

Initiatives like the mobile screening program used for lung and liver cancer have made a big difference, he said.

One person who has benefited is Paul Nelson who is 72 years old.

When he went for a lung health check last summer, he had no symptoms and was diagnosed with cancer.

He said he was devastated, but the fact he was caught early meant he was able to get treatment.

“I’ve never had any problems with my chest, but I was given a check and then offered a scan, so I thought why not, I’m so glad I went.

“If things had been left for a few more months it could have been very different.”

Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, praised the NHS for its progress in early detection of cancer.

But added: “Despite this, people across the country still face unacceptable delays for vital care.”

He said there is a need for a fully funded national cancer plan, reforms as well as increased investment in staff and equipment to help transform cancer services for the better.