New figures show cancer survival rates in Northumberland are rising

Cancer Research UK said national figures show improvements in cancer survival, yet also highlight disparity across England.

The charity said chances of surviving cancer should not vary depending on where patients live.

NHS figures show 74.6% of people diagnosed with cancer in 2020 in the former NHS Northumberland CCG survived the first year. This is up from a survival rate of 74.3% in 2019 and an increase on 69.1% a decade prior.

Nationally, the one-year survival rate reached 74.6% in 2020 – up from 74.1% the year before and 68.7% a decade prior.

Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK chief executive, said despite the data showing improvements in cancer survival in England, there is still "unacceptable" disparity across England.

She said: "Our chances of surviving cancer should not vary depending on where we live."

She added workforce shortages area a critical barrier in deliver timely diagnosis and treatment for cancer patients and called on the Government to publish a fully-costed workforce plan for England to improve staff recruitment and retainment.

The data also shows the one-year survival rate for women with breast cancer in Northumberland increased from 96.7% in 2010 to 98% in 2020.

The survival rate for colorectal cancer patients also rose from 78.6% in 2010 to 79.1% in 2020.

In addition, lung cancer patients survival rate was 44.7% in 2020 – an improvement from 32.2% a decade prior.