\t\t\t\t\tCancer death rates in the UK have fallen 29% from when they peaked in 1989 to their lowest rates on record, thanks to scientific breakthroughs and government policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cancer death rates in the UK are at their lowest level on record, 29% down from when they peaked in 1989, according to the latest figures from cancer charity Cancer Research UK.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThese figures represent decades of crucial scientific breakthroughs \u2013 from vaccines that prevent cancer to kinder, more targeted treatments,\u201d said Sam Godfrey, the charity\u2019s science engagement lead.<\/p>\n
Cervical cancer has seen one of the biggest improvements across cancer types, with a 75% reduction in death rates over the past 50 years. That progress is set to continue thanks to innovations like the HPV vaccine, which was first introduced in 2008 and is expected to prevent 90% of all cervical cancer cases. At least 6.5 million people have now received the vaccine in the UK.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Research into new treatments such as Abiraterone, a drug that stops prostate cancer from creating testosterone to fuel its growth, has also played a role in pushing down cancer death rates.<\/p>\n
A new hope<\/p>\n
Death rates for a number of other cancer types, including stomach cancer, testicular cancer and Hodgkin\u2019s lymphoma, have also dropped considerably. There\u2019s also been progress against hard-to-treat cancers, including some of those that affect the brain and central nervous system, where death rates have fallen by 6% for men and 8% for women over the past ten years, thanks to advances like the drug temozolomide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was approved for use in the 2000s and helps people with fast-growing brain tumours called glioblastomas survive the disease for longer.<\/p>\n
Less good news is that mortality rates for liver cancer, womb cancer and head and neck cancer have all increased in recent years. A growing and ageing population also means that overall cancer deaths continue to rise.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe UK has been a global leader in cancer research, but we can\u2019t take progress for granted,\u201d said Godfrey. \u201cIt\u2019s essential that the Government makes it easier and faster to set up clinical trials, as well as providing NHS staff with the time and space to carry out life-saving research.\u201d<\/p>\n
The government\u2019s National Cancer Plan was widely praised when it was published earlier this year<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n