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Publication, Part of

Cancer survival: Index for Clinical Commissioning Groups, 2004 to 2019

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Geographic variations in cancer survival between 2004 and 2019

Between 2004 and 2019, cancer survival increased and geographic variation between Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) narrowed.

The index of cancer survival provides a single number to summarise the overall pattern of cancer survival. Figure 1 shows the CCG variation in the index of cancer survival across time. The chart shows that the index of cancer survival has increased throughout the time period for all CCGs, while the difference in survival between CCGs has decreased. Overall, the England cancer survival has increased by 10.2 percentage points, from 64.4% in 2004 to 74.6% in 2019.

The range in 1-year index of cancer survival estimates (the gap between the highest and lowest CCGs) has narrowed from 9.4 percentage points in 2004 to 7.8 percentage points in 2019, which means there is now less geographic variation in cancer survival by CCG in England.

Figure 1: Index of cancer survival for CCGs in England compared to index of cancer survival for the whole of England, 2004 and 2019. The CCGs are coloured and shaped depending on whether their survival was better or worse than the index of survival for England in 2004.

Although the index of cancer survival has increased in England and for all Cancer Alliances (CAs), Sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) and CCGs, the rate of improvement has varied across individual CCGs. Table 1 shows the 5 largest and smallest changes for CCGs – that is, those with the largest or smallest percentage point increases in the index of cancer survival between 2004 and 2019.

Even though a CCG may be in the most or least improved categories, it does not mean that these CCGs have the highest or lowest survival in 2019. The index has been designed to compare levels of survival over time for individual CCGs (rather than comparing between CCGs) – interpretation should focus on overall trends rather than on small changes in the survival index in a particular year.

 

Area name

2004 index of cancer survival (%)

2019 index of cancer survival (%)

Improvement

England

64.4

74.6

10.2

Most improved CCGs

 

 

 

NHS Stockport CCG

60.7

77.6

16.9

NHS Wirral CCG

60.0

76.8

16.8

NHS Trafford CCG

61.7

78.0

16.3

NHS Morecambe Bay CCG

61.0

77.1

16.1

NHS Southport and Formby CCG

61.1

76.8

15.7

Least improved CCGs

 

 

 

NHS Vale of York CCG

68.1

73.3

5.2

NHS Black Country and West Birmingham CCG

64.9

70.6

5.7

NHS South East Staffordshire and Seisdon Peninsula CCG

66.6

72.4

5.8

NHS Birmingham and Solihull CCG

66.5

72.5

6.0

NHS Castle Point and Rochford CCG

66.5

72.7

6.2

Table 1: Most and least improved CCGs for index of cancer survival in England, 2004 to 2019

 

Since 2004, the 1-year index of cancer survival increased for all CAs and STPs. Between 2004 and 2019, the range of the 1-year index of cancer survival for CAs narrowed from 7.9 percentage points to 4.9 percentage points. Between 2004 and 2019, the range of the 1-year index of cancer survival for STPs narrowed from 9.4 percentage points to 7.7 percentage points.

The Independent Cancer Taskforce set the ambition to increase 12 month survival to 75% by 2020 for all cancers combined. In 2019, the 1-year index of cancer survival was above 75% for 32 CCGs, 17 STPs and 9 CAs.



Last edited: 9 June 2022 4:15 pm