CANCER levels across the UK have hit a record high of 3.5m in 2025, including 98,000 in Northern Ireland, a charity has said.
The data analysis from Macmillan said that in 2025, around half a million more people across the UK will be living with cancer than five years ago.
An “unacceptable cancer care gap” also meant the experience of having cancer was considerably worse for certain groups, such as patients from mixed or multiple ethnicities, with disabilities and those from the LGBTQ+ community.
The reasons for the growing number of people living with cancer are complex, including a growing and ageing population, a gradual increase in some survival rates as well as growing numbers of people diagnosed with certain cancer types.
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Macmillan’s Chief Executive Gemma Peters called on Stormont to make the bold decisions needed to stop more cancer patients being left behind.
“Behind these figures are individuals with unique challenges and needs,” she said.
“At Macmillan, we support people living with cancer every day, helping them to manage the various ways in which cancer affects their lives.
“We see how cancer impacts peoples’ relationships, jobs, finances and more, and how this can be even worse for some, simply because of who they are or where they live. This must change.”
Almost a year after the Stormont Executive’s return, she added: “It’s time to work collaboratively to implement much-needed change for everyone in Northern Ireland living with cancer, as a matter of urgency.
“By addressing the cancer care gap and ensuring every patient – no matter who they are or where they live – can access world-class care, we can set a new standard for Northern Ireland. This is the Executive’s chance to shape its legacy for generations to come.”
Ameena Westwood (53) from Smethwick, West Midlands, was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer last year.
It followed a previous diagnosis in 2017 for which she had received the all-clear after a mastectomy and radiotherapy treatment.
“As someone who has faced a cancer diagnosis and recurrence, I know that living with cancer is not just about the medical challenges - it’s about navigating a system that doesn’t always meet everyone’s needs equally,” she said.
With a half-Yemeni background and English as her first language, she feels able to advocate for herself whereas others in her community struggle.
Initially given antibiotics and told not to worry in December 2023, she had to go to her GP three ties before finally being sent to hospital, where she discovered she had a collapsed lung.
“When I reflect on my journey, every time something like that happens, I sit and think; ‘But what if I couldn’t speak English? What would’ve happened to me?’ If my symptoms had carried on and I wasn’t listened to, and I’d just been sent home with an inhaler, I could’ve died.
“That’s how serious it was. I’m British and I speak English very well, but I still struggled, and I had to find my voice. I had to fight to be listened to. If I didn’t speak English, or I couldn’t speak up for myself, would I still be alive now?”
Further information is available from Macmillan Cancer Support on 0808 808 00 00 or by visiting macmillan.org.uk/whateveryouneed.
