The UK’s cancer rate is 6% higher than the European average, yet spending on cancer medicines is only 60% that of other advanced western countries.
England currently spends £18.33 billion on cancer care annually, but this could increase to £24.72 billion over the next few years, found a new report by think tank Policy Exchange, The Cost of Cancer.
The figures take into account healthcare costs, costs to patients and families and losses in productivity, making it the most comprehensive study of the total costs of cancer to have taken place in England.
The report blames late diagnosis, poor survival rates for older people and those in deprived communities, and relatively poor take-up of new treatments and technologies for the UK’s high mortality rate.
Overall, the study found, England spends 5.6% of its public healthcare budget on cancer, compared to 7.7% in France, 9.2% in the US and 9.6% in Germany.
If UK survival rates were improved in line with the best in Europe, by 2020 the cost of cancer care could be reduced by £10 billion, and 71, 500 lives could be saved.
The report recommends that the DH should adopt best practice in cancer services from other European countries, refocus resources where the largest reductions in mortality can be achieved and focus on prevention strategies, including smoking reduction initiatives.
Henry Featherstone, Head of Policy Exchange’s Health Unit and author of the report, said: “Cancer kills over one in four people in England, and is seen by the public as being the top disease priority for the NHS. The current cost of cancer – to say nothing of the human tragedy involved – is currently at a staggering £18.33 billion, and will only rise further.
“With cross-programme action on earlier diagnosis and better targeting of resources towards older people and communities who are most at risk we could make significant reductions in mortality rates, saving not only billions of pounds, but also the upset and suffering caused to thousands of individuals and families.”