Cancer Prevention Could Save Lives, Cut Costs: Study
A shift in focus from treatment to prevention to find cancer earlier could save the UK economy billions of pounds, according to a study involving the University of York.
Professor Bob Philips and patient Alisha sharing a giggle. Image: Hull York Medical School.
The study has shown that between £7.6 – 11.6 billion of the UK economy is lost due to lives cut short by cancer. The report has also revealed data on the economic impact of the loss of productivity as a result of cancer symptoms, side-effects, unpaid caring responsibilities and early death.
The full costs
According to the researchers, we don’t know enough about the full costs of cancer, particularly how they vary between different people and how they are experienced by patients, or their parents in the case of children. However, a cancer diagnosis may force business owners to close their business and potentially cause several job losses, or a close family member may not be able to work due to caring responsibilities.
Bob Phillips, co-author of the report and Professor in Paediatrics and Evidence Synthesis at the University of York and Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Oncology at Hull-York Medical School, said: “When a child is diagnosed with cancer, one parent often switches from employment to a full-time caring role.
“This, on top of all the extra costs of travel to one of the only twenty centres in the UK which treats children, can place intolerable financial burdens. This research highlights how little this has been acknowledged and how we need solid academic work to allow it to become a government priority.”
Preventative measures
The researchers also highlighted the high costs of up to £17,799 annually per patient during their final year, paid by the NHS, as well as the high personal costs involved in childcare, prescriptions, medical aids and therapy.
Michelle Mitchell, Chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “We know that cancer has an immeasurable impact on patients and their loved ones. But this report reveals there is also a clear and devastating economic cost.”
In order to reduce the costs involved, the report suggests that more focus should be placed on preventive measures and screening for cancer to find it earlier. One successful and cost-effective project cited by the report was the lung cancer screening programme. Rolled out in 2023 and funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, the trial resulted in a reduction of late cancer diagnosis and provided evidence of the cost-saving effectiveness of screening.
Recommendations
The recommendations set out by the report places focus on the fact that preventing cancer for adults can not only save lives but also money, that for all patients earlier diagnosis reduces overall economic costs in most cases and investing in community/neighbourhood services and integrated services could provide better and more cost-efficient care.
For example, a merging of palliative care and cancer services could improve both the quality of life and end-of-life experiences for people with cancer. Such a measure could also save money if care could be moved out of hospitals and into community and neighbourhood services.
The report was written by researchers from Leeds University, University of York, University of Edinburgh, Queen’s University Belfast, the Leeds Cancer Centre and Leeds Beckett University.
https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2025/research/cost-of-cancer/