In a comment article published in The Lancet Oncology, the researchers have called for radical action to head off deepening financial pressures.

The article calls for the appointment of an independent National Cancer Director and an office of support to take data-driven actions across the UK.

Mark Lawler, professor of Digital Health at Queen's University Belfast and lead author, said: “The urgency is clear: in my mind, we are already in the midst of a cancer crisis, precipitated by 14 years of gross mismanagement of cancer by the previous administration and the collateral impact of Covid and national lockdowns on cancer services and cancer patients.

placeholder image — A general view of staff on a NHS hospital ward. A QUB professor has said that the UK's cancer system is close to breaking point

“Now, more than ever, we must learn from each other, acknowledge the scale of the challenge, and implement data-driven solutions and achieve efficiencies, some of which may be contentious in the short term, but are essential for long-term cancer control within financial constraints.”

The comment article highlights several policy recommendations which the authors state will improve survival and quality of life for people with cancer.

Among the issues highlighted is the abolition of NHS England, which the authors said marks a “seismic shift” in UK healthcare governance.

The authors warn that the “greatest risk lies in reactive, short-term, ill-informed decision-making” by the government, which they state could further reduce UK cancer survival rates, deepen health inequalities and escalate inefficiencies.

Professor Pat Price, from Imperial College London, who is chairwoman of Radiotherapy UK, said: “Delayed cancer treatment has become the deadly norm in this country, and we won't reverse it unless we commit to doing things differently.

“If we keep doing the same things, with the same voices in the room, we're going to continue to face some of the worst cancer outcomes in Europe.

“In the massively overlooked area of radiotherapy cancer care, for example, nearly two-thirds of cancer patients are waiting too long for their cancer treatment.

“Too often, we see cancer policy take a tunnel-vision approach, only focusing on areas like early diagnosis and completely overlooking the fact that we need to actually treat patients if we want to improve survival.

“The international environment, domestic funding pressures and a lack of policy priority to take the action needed could eclipse attempts to reverse the poor cancer outcomes the country faces.

“If we want to stop cancer patients in this country from dying needlessly, the promised cancer plan has to be radical. It needs to be data-driven.

“And it needs to ensure that, if money is tight, we're spending it on the things that are proven to improve cancer outcomes.”

Another issue highlighted by the research team is the need to cut consultation by the current government, which they said is delaying the development of a new national cancer strategy.

Professor Lawler said: “We cannot continually consult our way out of a crisis – the evidence we and others have provided is irrefutable.

“We have more than enough data intelligence – what we need to do is act on this evidence as a matter of urgency.”