Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans is supporting the Less Survivable Cancer’s Taskforce’s bid to improve the current survival chances of people diagnosed with cancers of the lung, liver, brain, oesophagus, pancreas or stomach.

More than 90,000 people are diagnosed with one of these cancers in the UK each year – equating for a quarter of all cancer diagnosis.

However these six cancers account for 40 per cent of all cancer deaths within the UK.

The LSCT have recently released figures, based on a new analysis of existing data and the world survival rankings of lung, liver, brain, oesophageal, pancreatic and stomach cancers, which show that the UK lags behind other countries when it comes to patient survival.

The data shows that out of 33 countries of comparable wealth and income levels, the UK ranks 28th for five-year survival for both stomach and lung cancer. 26th for pancreatic cancer, 25th for brain cancer and 21st and 16th for liver and oesophageal cancers respectively.

House of Commons deputy speaker Mr Evans said after a taskforce event at Parliament: “I fully support the work being done by the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce in raising awareness of them and the need to improve survival rates within the UK.

“If we are able to improve early diagnosis of these cancers and bring our survival rates in line with some of the best performing countries on this issue then we could significantly improve the lives of thousands of patients who are diagnosed with these cancers.”

Anna Jewell, chair of the taskforce, said: “People diagnosed with a less survivable cancer are already fighting against the odds for survival.

"The figures show that people living in the UK have even worse prospects than those living in comparable countries."

This week the mum of an East Lancs woman who died from a brain tumour handed over a petition to Downing Street calling for increased government funding into the devastating disease.

Laura Nuttall died from a glioblastoma in May 2023 aged just 23.

Her mum, Nicola Nuttall, from Barrowford, has been ‘horrified’ by the statistics around brain tumours and the lack of government investment.