There will be a record high of 2.5 million people living with cancer in the UK this year, putting huge pressure on the NHS, warns a report by Macmillan Cancer Support. According to Macmillan, the dramatic rise of almost half a million cancer patients in the last five years is due to improvements in survival and detection, as well as a growing and ageing population.

As many as 1.6 million people with cancer were diagnosed five or more years ago, but may still be reliant on health services because of side effects of treatment or the disease, said the charity. The news coincides with the announcement that 25 treatments are to be removed from the Cancer Drugs Fund, to save costs and prevent the fund from exceeding its budget.