Data released by the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce today shows that more than half (61%) of people in Wales diagnosed with a cancer of the lung, liver, brain, oesophagus, pancreas or stomach will die from their disease within one year.
The new analysis of existing cancer registry data shows that the average one year survival for a patient diagnosed with a less survivable cancer in Wales is just 39%. This contrasts sharply with the overall one-year survival rate for all cancers, which is over 70%.
Over 90,000 people are diagnosed with one of the less survivable cancers in the UK every year and they account for nearly half of all common cancer deaths. These cancers are overwhelmingly diagnosed at later stages compared to other cancers. Only 28% of patients are diagnosed at stage 1 or 2, compared to 54% for all cancers. This late-stage diagnosis limits the potential for treatments that could significantly improve survival rates.
Despite their prevalence, the less survivable cancers receive a fraction (16.6%) of research funding of more survivable cancers.
Formed by charities supporting patients, the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce is calling for government-level commitments to prioritise early detection, research funding and the development of new treatment options for these cancers with the aim of reducing the stark inequalities in prognosis. For Wales in particular, the Taskforce wants a firm commitment from the Welsh government for a national lung cancer screening programme (following an overwhelmingly successful pilot in Rhondda Cynon Taf) and a national registry for people with Barrett’s Oesophagus - a risk factor for oesophageal cancer.
