Our policy on cancer surgery

Surgery is the foundation of treatment for a number of cancers and many patients receive surgery before any other type of treatment. 47% of patients diagnosed with cancer (selected cancers) in England during 2013-2020 had surgery to remove their tumour, as part of their primary cancer treatment¹. Advances in surgical techniques have seen increased use of less invasive procedures which can reduce recovery times and improve patient experience. The proportion of cancer patients having surgery to remove their primary tumour is strongly influenced by stage at diagnosis.

However, there are variations in surgical activity across the country which need to be addressed.

The 2023 National Lung Cancer Audit showed that the proportion of patients in England undergoing anti-lung cancer surgery has improved post-pandemic, from 15% in 2020 to 17% in 2021. However, this is still lower than the 20% proportion seen in 2019. The Audit shows this pattern is reflected in Wales - the proportion of patients undergoing anti-lung cancer surgery dropped from 16% in 2019 to 11% in 2020 but is now on the rise, reaching 13% in 2021.

References:

1. Data were published by The National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS) in partnership with Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and can be accessed here: https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/treatments