UK cancer cases reach record levels as NHS faces mounting pressure Record cancer diagnoses in the UK are stretching NHS services, despite improvements in survival rates. 24 April 2026 Cancer diagnoses in the UK have reached an all-time high, with a new case being confirmed every 80 seconds, A man talking to a doctor A report by Cancer Research UK revealed that more than 403,000 people are now diagnosed with cancer each year, a figure driven largely by the country's ageing population.