Three quarters will survive cancer by 2035, government promises

The UK government has unveiled a landmark National Cancer Plan, setting an ambitious target for 75% of patients diagnosed from 2035 to survive for at least five years.

Launched on Wednesday, 4 February 2026 (World Cancer Day) at the Royal Free Hospital, the plan aims to close the survival gap between the UK and other industrial nations. Currently, the UK's five-year survival rate stands at approximately 60%, significantly lagging behind countries like Australia (70%) and Norway.

Key Pledges and Targets ⚖️

The 10-year strategy focuses on shifting the NHS from a "late-stage" to an "early-stage" diagnosis model:

Survival Target: Ensuring 3 out of 4 people survive for five years or more by 2035.
Waiting Times: A commitment to meet all three national cancer waiting standards by March 2029:
- 62-day target: 85% of patients start treatment within two months of an urgent referral (missed consistently since 2014).
- 28-day target: 75% of patients to receive a diagnosis or all-clear within four weeks.
- 31-day target: 96% of patients start treatment within a month of a decision to treat.
Personalised Care: Every patient will receive a Personalised Cancer Plan and be assigned a named clinical nurse specialist or neighbourhood care lead.

Modernisation and Technology 🏗️

Backed by a £2.3 billion investment in diagnostics, the government plans to deliver 9.5 million additional tests by 2029 through:

Digital & AI: Expanding the use of AI to spot hard-to-reach lung cancers and utilizing liquid biopsy blood tests for faster decision-making.
Robotic Surgery: Increasing robot-assisted procedures from 70,000 to 500,000 per year by 2035 to reduce complications and hospital stays.
NHS App: Using the app to deliver test results and link patients to clinical trials and genomic testing.

Prevention and Screening

Ministers are also focusing on a "prevention revolution" to tackle the 40% of cancers deemed preventable:

Lung Screening: A national rollout of targeted lung cancer screenings for ex-smokers by 2030.
Bowel Cancer: Lowering the sensitivity threshold for FIT (stool) tests to trigger investigations earlier.
Lifestyle: Reintroducing the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to create a smoke-free generation and expanding access to GLP-1 weight-loss medications.

Challenges and "Cynicism"

Health Secretary Wes Streeting, himself a kidney cancer survivor, acknowledged that "surviving shouldn't depend on who wins the lottery of life." However, experts have raised concerns about the "mammoth task" ahead:

Workforce Crisis: The Royal College of Radiologists warned that the plan lacks detail on addressing the 30% shortage in radiologists and 15% in clinical oncologists. Without more staff, many fear the £2.3bn in new equipment will sit idle.
Funding Constraints: The King's Fund noted that beyond specific screening funds, the government must deliver most of these reforms within the existing Spending Review settlement, which may be restricted by inflation.
"Shiny vs. Boring": Health think tanks expressed concern that the plan relies heavily on unproven technologies (like multi-cancer early detection blood tests) rather than fixing basic administrative bottlenecks.

Michelle Mitchell, CEO of Cancer Research UK, welcomed the "bold ambitions" but emphasized that the government must quickly translate the plan into "meaningful delivery" to avoid it becoming another missed target.