More calls for early diagnosis

Despite efforts and some progress in recent years, a cross-party group of MPs has today reported that cancer care in England is still lagging behind the standard it should be in several key areas.

The report raised concerns about variations in peformance and highlighted the need for more early diagnosis - something the government said it was already looking to tackle.  The MPs said the need for quicker diagnosis was illustrated through the data on one-year survival rates - previously the focus has been on five-year survival rates.

They said the key to improvement was early diagnosis.