Baroness Delyth Morgan, chief executive at Breast Cancer Now, said:
“It’s deeply concerning that cancer survival is slowing while the number of people being diagnosed increases.
“We cannot afford to be complacent about breast cancer - over 11,000 people die from this devastating disease every year in the UK. While huge strides forward in diagnosis and treatment means almost 100% of women diagnosed with breast cancer at stage 1 will survive for five years or more, for women diagnosed at stage 4 it’s a far bleaker outlook with five year survival dropping to only a quarter (26%).* So much more must be done.
“Breast cancer care in the UK is on the brink of disaster. We’re seeing breast screening uptake in England tragically falling short of targets and long waiting times preventing women from starting potentially life-saving treatment on time. People with incurable secondary breast cancer tell us they often feel ignored and right now some women in England are being denied access to a vital treatment - trastuzumab deruxtecan - which could extend their lives.
“Urgent action is needed now to speed up breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, including the government and NHS England delivering a national breast screening awareness campaign to help boost attendance. Only then can we guarantee people with breast cancer the best chances of survival, both now and in the future.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
* https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/breast-cancer/survival