Cancer is the single biggest cause of premature death in Wales.
In the next 15 years, there will be more deaths from cancer in those under 75 than those from cardiovascular, respiratory and liver deaths combined. At the same time, the incidence of cancer is rising at just under 2% per year for the foreseeable future.
Even before Covid-19 hit, it was projected that the number of people ‘living with cancer’ in Wales would double to over 200,000 by 2030.
And this effect is unlikely to be equal. In recent data, the five-year net survival rate in the most deprived 20% of areas of Wales was only three-quarters of that in the least deprived 20%.
- Achieving better cancer outcomes will benefit everyone in Wales – directly as patients, or indirectly as friends and family of patients
- It's also a matter of social justice – better outcomes must mean more equal outcomes
- Cancer is an urgent health challenge that lies at the heart of building a sustainable NHS for the future
- And evidence internationally suggests better outcomes are possible in Wales
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