More than 1,000 cancer cases diagnosed each day in England, research shows

More than 1,000 cancer cases diagnosed each day in England, research shows Professor Peter Johnson, the NHS national clinical director for cancer, said the figures showed the service is ‘moving in the right direction' when it comes to fighting the disease There were more than 1,000 new cancer diagnoses each day on average in England over the course of a year, research shows. However, where a person lives still has a "significant impact" on how likely they are to develop the disease and their chances of survival, according to the charity Macmillan. The annual statistics show there were 373,574 new cancer diagnoses on the NHS in 2024, excluding the most common types of skin cancer. This is 11,833 higher than 2023 and represents an average of 1,021 diagnoses per day. It is the first time the figure has been surpassed since current records began, according to NHS England. When common skin cancers were included, there were a total of 616,404 cancers diagnosed in 2024. Steven McIntosh, chief partnerships officer at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "The number of people being diagnosed with cancer each year in England has risen to a new record high, yet we know that who you are and where you live can still have a significant impact on how likely you are to get cancer, as well as how quickly you are diagnosed and your chances of survival. "Every cancer diagnosis brings its own challenges, and people need support that goes beyond medical treatment to help them live as well as possible, both during and beyond cancer. "This is more important than ever as the number of people being diagnosed with and living with cancer in the UK continues to grow." Professor Peter Johnson, NHS National clinical director for cancer, said: "These new figures show the health service is moving in the right direction with NHS staff working hard to diagnose 1,000 people a day with cancer for the first time ever. "NHS teams across the country are taking tests and checks closer to the people who need them, and with new treatments being developed all the time, we will continue to do all we can to get people seen and treated for cancer as early as possible. "If you are invited for one of our screening programmes please take up the offer, and if you are worried about potential signs and symptoms of cancer, please contact your GP surgery without delay." The latest monthly NHS figures show that 78.6% of patients in England urgently referred for suspected cancer were diagnosed or had cancer ruled out within 28 days in August. This was down from 79.3% in July and below the target of 80%. The proportion of patients who began their first definitive treatment for cancer within 62 days of an urgent referral or consultant upgrade was 71.9%, up slightly from 71.2% in July. The six most common cancer groups diagnosed in 2024 were skin, prostate, breast, lung, bowel and blood. Excluding common skin cancers, half of all registered diagnoses continue to be found in four main groups: prostate, breast, lung and bowel. Breast cancer awareness charity CoppaFeel! Called for the NHS to look at ways to identify younger women with the disease. Sophie Dopierala-Bull, director of services and engagement, CoppaFeel!, said: "This latest data shows that a significant proportion of women, one in six, are under 50 when they are diagnosed, so it is imperative that the NHS looks at ways to identify younger women at earlier stages of the disease, to ensure they have the best outcomes. "Breast cancer is still treated too much like an older person's disease with women telling us they are dismissed as `too young' when they first ask for help. "Every late diagnosis represents a missed opportunity to treat the cancer before it spreads and becomes more difficult to treat."