The number of people living with cancer in the UK will hit a record high of 3.4 million this year, figures suggest.
Data analysed by the cancer support charity Macmillan shows roughly half a million more people will be living with cancer by December than five years ago.
The rise is being fuelled by a growing and ageing population and a gradual improvement in survival rates for some types of the disease.
There has also been an increase in people diagnosed with cancers such as thyroid, liver and melanoma.
Macmillan warned that the experience of having cancer is getting worse for many people, with delays to treatment and sometimes a postcode lottery of care.
The estimated 3.4 million people who will be living with cancer as of December 2025 includes around 890,000 women with breast cancer, 610,000 men with prostate cancer, 390,000 people with bowel cancer and 120,000 with lung cancer.
A YouGov poll of more than 2,000 people last year found a third felt it was harder to be living with cancer now than at any other time they could remember, increasing to 48 per cent of those who also had a serious disability.
Analysis of NHS data also suggests many people with cancer are reporting poorer experiences across several areas of care, including people from ethnic minority backgrounds and those from the LGBTQ+ community, Macmillan said.
The number of people living with cancer in the UK will hit a record high of 3.4 million this year, figures suggest (stock image)
Data analysed by the cancer support charity Macmillan shows roughly half a million more people will be living with cancer by December than five years ago (stock image)
Its chief executive, Gemma Peters, said: ‘The number of people living with cancer in the UK is rising, and for many things are getting worse.
‘There are unacceptable gaps between the best and worst experiences, and people are being left behind.
‘Behind these figures are individuals with unique challenges and needs.
‘At Macmillan, we support people living with cancer every day, helping them to manage the various ways in which cancer affects their lives.
‘We see how cancer impacts people’s relationships, jobs, finances and more, and how this can be even worse for some, simply because of who they are or where they live. This must change.
‘Better is possible, but only if we approach cancer care differently.‘Governments across the UK have a unique opportunity to revolutionise cancer care for the future.
‘By addressing the cancer care gap and ensuring every patient – no matter who they are or where they live – can access world-class care, we can set a new standard for the UK. This is the Governments’ chance to shape its legacy for generations to come.’
The rise is being fuelled by a growing and ageing population and a gradual improvement in survival rates for some types of the disease (stock image)
The estimated 3.4 million people who will be living with cancer as of December 2025 includes around 890,000 women with breast cancer, 610,000 men with prostate cancer, 390,000 people with bowel cancer and 120,000 with lung cancer (stock image)
The 2021 Census found the number of people aged 65 years and over increased from 9.2 million in 2011 to over 11 million in 2021.
Around half of all Britons will develop cancer in their lifetime and there are more than 385,000 new cancer cases in the UK every year – more than 1,000 every day.
Meanwhile, cancer survival is improving and has doubled in the last 50 years in the UK.
All contribute to the growing number of people living beyond a cancer diagnosis.
GPs in England made 259,563 urgent cancer referrals in November, down from 279,063 in October and down year on year from 270,549 in November 2023.
A total of 77.4 per cent of patients urgently referred for suspected cancer were diagnosed or had cancer ruled out within 28 days.
This is up from 77.1 per cent the previous month and is above the target of 75 per cent.
