Cancer outcomes in the UK are not experienced equally. British Asian, Black and other ethnic minority communities face persistent inequalities across the cancer pathway, from awareness and screening to diagnosis, treatment and survival. While overall cancer survival has improved in recent decades, progress has not been evenly shared.
One of the clearest disparities lies in early diagnosis. Ethnic minority communities are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, when treatment options are more limited and survival chances are lower. Screening uptake for breast, bowel and cervical cancer has historically been lower among South Asian, Black African and Black Caribbean groups. Language barriers, limited awareness of symptoms, cultural stigma, fatalistic beliefs about cancer, and practical challenges such as shift work or caring responsibilities all contribute to delayed engagement with services.
Socioeconomic inequality further compounds the problem. Many ethnic minority communities are overrepresented in areas of higher deprivation, which is strongly associated with later diagnosis, poorer access to care and worse outcomes.
Against this backdrop, the government’s new National Cancer Plan sets out an ambitious vision: meeting all cancer waiting time standards by 2029, dramatically increasing early diagnosis, expanding diagnostic capacity and innovative treatments, and ensuring that 75 per cent of patients diagnosed from 2035 are cancer-free or living well five years after diagnosis. The plan also pledges to reduce inequalities and boost survival rates to the best levels in Europe.
But these targets will only matter if progress reaches every community, equally. For the National Cancer Plan to truly succeed, equality must be built in at every step: from culturally tailored awareness campaigns and targeted screening drives, to robust ethnicity-based data collection, inclusive research, and genuine community-led engagement.
Working with trusted community platforms like Asian Voice, a vital source of information for South Asian audiences, offers a fast, effective route to reach those most at risk. Promoting early cancer screening and diagnostic tests through these channels can empower individuals to take control of their health before it’s too late.
Without deliberate, culturally aware action, system-wide improvements risk benefiting only those already well served, leaving the very communities who need support the most further behind.
“Cancer survival shouldn’t depend on the lottery of life”
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting, himself a cancer survivor, said the reforms mark a turning point.
“Cancer survival shouldn’t come down to who won the lottery of life,” he said. “But cancer is more likely to be a death sentence in Britain than in other countries around the world. As a cancer survivor who owes my life to the NHS, I owe it to future patients to make sure they receive the same outstanding care I did.
“Thanks to the revolution in medical science and technology, we have the opportunity to transform the life chances of cancer patients. This plan will slash waits, invest in cutting-edge technology, and give every patient the best possible chance of beating cancer.”
The plan comes amid record investment in the health service, with ministers promising a modernised NHS powered by faster diagnostics, robotics, genomic testing and artificial intelligence.
Gemma Peters, Chief Executive at Macmillan Cancer Support, said, “It's encouraging to see such bold survival ambitions in the National Cancer Plan for England. This comes at a time when people living with cancer tell us all too often that their care hasn’t been good enough, from long waits for tests and treatment to being left without the support they need once treatment ends.
"This Plan has the potential to transform care for people living with cancer, ensuring people not only live longer but live better with their diagnosis. We look forward to working with the Government to make this vision a reality: adding life to years, as well as years to life.”
Ethnic data gaps hindering cancer breakthroughs
Dr Raghib Ali OBE, Chief Executive of Our Future Health, on improving outcomes for British Asian communities said, “To help improve health outcomes for the British Asian community and other ethnic minorities, we need all communities to be represented in research cohorts, like Our Future Health, to enable health discoveries that can benefit everyone. This, combined with the Cancer Plan’s focus on early diagnosis, could significantly improve the outlook for patients from the British Asian community.
“Healthcare systems have traditionally focused on treating people once they show symptoms of diseases. However, diseases like cancer often start in the body long before symptoms are detectable. By developing a more detailed understanding of what makes certain people more likely to develop cancer, we can enable more effective approaches to early diagnosis, which has a huge impact on cancer outcomes.”
He further added, “We know that South Asian women are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage breast cancers, but we don’t yet know why health inequalities like this exist, because past health research programmes have not had enough data on people from ethnic minority backgrounds. Including diverse cohorts in research spaces can help study health inequalities and make cancer discoveries that are inclusive of everyone.”
Our Future Health is the most ethnically diverse large-scale research programme in the UK, with 20% of our volunteers from a non-British white ethnic minority.
Without cultural focus, cancer inequalities will persist
BAPIO believes that while England’s 10-Year Cancer Plan sets out a bold ambition and this goal will only be achieved if progress is shared fairly; and that means directly addressing cancer inequalities affecting Asian and Indian communities.
Dr Joydeep Grover, BAPIO President, said, “The Plan rightly highlights earlier diagnosis, improved screening, and better use of data by ethnicity. These measures have the potential to transform outcomes for Indian communities, particularly for bowel, breast, cervical and liver cancers, where late presentation remains a major challenge.
“However, the Plan stops short of the targeted action that is urgently needed. It does not adequately tackle cancer risks more common in Indian populations, including smokeless tobacco and areca nut use, hepatitis-related liver disease, or the strong link between diabetes and cancer.”
On the other hand, Dr K Gajanan, BAPIO Executive Committee member and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon for cancer at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, remarked, “Doctors must be empowered and expected to deliver culturally competent care, proactively promote screening, and ensure patients and families fully understand their options. At the same time, community and faith leaders — from temples and gurdwaras to Indian women’s organisations — must be recognised as essential partners in raising awareness, challenging myths, and building trust.
“The 10 year Cancer Plan does not sufficiently embed culturally tailored approaches that account for language barriers, stigma, modesty concerns, and family-centred decision-making. Without this focus, inequalities will persist.”
BAPIO is calling for stronger collaboration with the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cancer, chaired by Member of Parliament Navendu Mishra, and with senior clinicians such as Dr K Gajanan. Real change will only come when policymakers, clinicians and communities work together to ensure the Cancer Plan delivers equity, not just ambition.
The government’s ambition to transform cancer survival represents a major opportunity. But its true test will be whether ethnic minority communities see the same gains in early diagnosis, access to treatment and long-term survival as the wider population. Equity cannot be a footnote to reform, it must be central to whether the plan delivers on its promise.
Faster Tests, Smarter Treatment
£2.3bn for diagnostics
• Funding to deliver 9.5 million extra diagnostic tests by 2029.
• 170 Community Diagnostic Centres already open, offering scans and checks closer to home.
• Many centres operating 12 hours a day, seven days a week to boost access and cut waits.
Major expansion of robot-assisted surgery
• Procedures to rise from 70,000 a year to 500,000 annually by 2035.
• Aimed at reducing complications, shortening hospital stays and freeing up NHS beds.
Precision medicine through genomics
• Genomic testing for all eligible patients.
• Tumour DNA analysis to tailor treatments more accurately.
Digital access to faster appointments
• New systems to let patients book the earliest available diagnostic tests across local NHS providers.
AI to detect lung cancer earlier
• Pilot programme targeting hard-to-diagnose lung cancers.
• Designed to reduce invasive procedures and improve survival rates.
Specialist care for rare cancers
• Greater coordination through expert centres.
• Improved access to specialist teams and pioneering clinical trials.
Beyond treatment: Living well with cancer
Support to stay in work
• New employer partnership to help 830,000 working-age patients remain in or return to employment during and after treatment.
Prevention measures
• Proposed generational smoking ban.
• Restrictions on junk food advertising before 9pm to tackle preventable cancer risks.
Early progress
• 213,000 additional patients diagnosed or had cancer ruled out within target times since July last year.
The bigger test
• Delivering the pledge that three in four patients will survive long term will depend on sustained funding, workforce capacity and consistent delivery across the NHS.
