Early diagnosis vital for cancer

Cancer experts have spoken of the importance of diagnosing the disease as early as possible, with the chance of survival more than three times higher when some of the most common types are diagnosed in the earlier stages.

Cancer Research UK said more than 90% of patients are alive 10 years after being diagnosed with eight cancers at stage one, compared with just 5% of those who do not find out they have the disease until it has reached stage four.

The stage of a cancer is based on how large the tumour is and how far it has spread in the body. One of the main reasons early diagnosis improves survival is that more treatment options are available to patients when the disease is in its early stages and they are more effective.

Previous research has also shown it costs significantly less to treat patients who are diagnosed with early-stage cancers.

One in two people will develop cancer at some point in their lives and the number of cancer cases is expected to rise.

Around 80% of patients diagnosed with common cancers at the earlier stages of one or two survive for at least 10 years.