Early diagnosis of cancer increases the survival hope of the patients, and the world is slowly accepting this fact.
According to BBC, the National Health Service (NHS) figures have revealed that the number of patients diagnosed with cancer at an early stage has risen to the highest record level.
The data for the 13 most common cancers showed that between September 2023 and October 2024, 58.7% of the cancers were diagnosed at stages one and two, which was 2.7% higher than the pre-pandemic period and highest since more than a decade.
NHS England asserted that the combination of public awareness campaigns and new screening methods has contributed to achieving a new milestone.
Meanwhile, despite the progress, England is struggling to achieve its goal of diagnosing 75% of cancer at stages one and two by 2028.
Dame Cally Palmer, NHS England's national cancer director, accepted that they still have “much more to do.”
She said, “Lives are saved when cancers are caught early, and following a major drive on early detection in recent years, it's really encouraging to see more people than ever are now being diagnosed at an earlier stage."
Palmer noted that the initiative, like the mobile screening program for lung and liver cancers, has also played a significant role in making a difference.
Notably, the NHS is also lacking cancer treatment on time, as nearly one-third of the cancer patients in England have to wait more than 62 days for treatment after urgent referral.
