Cancer patients surge by 20% in five years with diagnosis every 90 seconds

Almost three million people are living with cancer in Britain after rates soared by a fifth in five years.

A patient is diagnosed with cancer every 90 seconds on average, a study by Macmillan Cancer Support found.

The current 2.9 million will rise to almost 3.5 million by 2025, it estimates – with health services already struggling with chronic staffing shortages.

The charity’s chief Lynda Thomas said: “More people are hearing they have cancer, at a time when the NHS desperately needs additional doctors and nurses.

“This is whipping up a perfect storm which needs to be taken seriously by party leaders.

“We need decision makers to prioritise funding and put in place the right plans to ensure we have a cancer ­workforce fit for purpose.”

Cancer patients are surviving longer and the population is getting bigger and older, meaning more people have the disease.

Some 1.62 million women and 1.27 million men are expected to be living with cancer next year.

The total of 2.89 million is around 440,000 more than the figure of 2.45 million in 2015 – 1.06 million men and 1.39 million women.