Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation has welcomed the findings of new data that suggests an increase in two-year survival rates for mesothelioma and lung cancer patients.
NHS England’s Get Data Out programme compiled new incidence, treatment and survival data for lung cancer and mesothelioma from 2013 to 2020.
Mesothelioma develops after exposure to asbestos and mainly affects the lining of the lungs. The UK has the highest incidence of the disease in the world, with around 2,700 people diagnosed each year.
Two-year survival increased from 15.5% in 2013 to 20.3% for people diagnosed in 2019.
People can find this and other data at www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/getdataout/lung. The programme grouped patients by tumour and patient characteristics and published statistics for each group.
Jesme Fox, Medical Director at Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, said: “It is great to see new data for both lung cancer and mesothelioma.”
But for us, this data is more than just numbers. It’s about people and it suggests that more people are living longer with lung cancer. That’s the ultimate goal.”
Liz Darlison said: “Access to national mesothelioma data is vital to improve care, treatment and patient experience.”
“We’re very grateful to NHS England for their work on this data. “They’re a pleasure to work with, and we look forward to preparing a report highlighting the key findings.”
Kate Fleming said: “These statistics help improve cancer outcomes and save lives.”