Half of us will develop cancer at some point in our lives, according to Cancer Research UK. And the speed of a diagnosis can often be the difference between life and death.
Just a one-month delay can raise the risk of death by up to 10%. Yet in England, almost a third of cancer patients wait more than two months to start treatment after an urgent GP referral – twice as many as the target and a trend that’s getting worse.
As the Westminster government prepares to publish its new 10-year cancer plan – what can we learn from elsewhere in the world? In Denmark, for example, cancer waiting lists have virtually been eliminated and survival rates are rocketing.
Niall speaks to Sky’s health correspondent Ashish Joshi and Jesper Fisker from the Danish Cancer Society.
Producer: Natalie Ktena & Sam Gruet
Editor: Mike Bovill