Report: Almost half of cancers 'caught too late'

Almost half of cancers diagnosed in England are discovered late, knocking back the chances of successful treatment, according to a report.

Some 52,000 cancer patients could improve their chances of survival if they were diagnosed early - and save the NHS £210 million, the report from Cancer Research UK claims.

Experts believe if all cancer patients had tumours detected earlier an extra 5,000 people would survive five years or more after their initial diagnosis.

Lung cancer had the worst record of delayed diagnosis, with 77% of cases being spotted late.

Early-stage tumours can often be removed by surgery, but once a cancer has started to spread around the body it becomes much more difficult and costly to treat.

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