The NAO will produce three studies on cancer services in England. This is the first and looks at whether survival rates are being improved. One person in three will develop cancer at some point in their life, and in the 1990s England suffered from a higher mortality rate than other European countries. However the survival rate is improving and the latest figures show that 36 per cent of men and 49 per cent of women will survive for 5 years or more. England's position in terms of the proportion of people who die from cancer is improving relative to other comparable countries. There is though a class divide, with the better off improving more than the less well off. There are variations in service but one of the factors is that people in more deprived areas are likely to have their cancer identified at a more advanced stage. The recommendations from this report cover the need to be more effective in stopping smoking, ways of identifying cancer earlier and the need for national clinical audits.

Following on from a NAO report (HCP 364, session 2003-04; ISBN 010292757X) published in March 2004, the Committees report examines the extent of progress being made to improve the prevention and early detection of cancer, to improve the quality of cancer treatments, and to reduce regional variations in cancer survival and mortality rates in England. Findings include: research shows that people in more deprived areas are likely to have their cancer identified at a more advanced stage, and further work needs to be undertaken to tackle the underlying reasons for late presentation; action is needed to help GPs improve early detection rates, with the development of GP cancer specialists to spread good practice amongst the profession; and improved recording mechanisms are required to monitor the time taken for patient assessment, referral, diagnosis and treatment, with better availability of public information on provision of local cancer services.