Overview

• One Cancer Voice, a coalition of 60 charities, forecasts a 14.2% rise in cases between 2025 and 2040, totaling about 6.3 million diagnoses.
• The analysis equates the trend to one person being diagnosed every two minutes, driven by an ageing population, improved detection and higher exposure to known risk factors.
• Regional demand is expected to vary, with the South East projected to exceed 1 million cases, followed by the North West (865,000), the East of England and South West (722,000 each), and London (714,000).
• Common cancers are projected to reach record totals by 2040, including roughly 1,050,000 prostate, 906,000 breast and 821,000 lung cancer cases.
• The coalition set six tests for the National Cancer Plan—including meeting all waiting times by 2029, new earlier diagnosis targets and stronger prevention—while the Department of Health cited recent diagnostic gains and pledged to publish the plan.