Cancer Research UK Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2020: The impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients in the UK

Summary

Cancer is the leading cause of death in the UK, and cancer doesn’t just stop because of a pandemic. Before COVID-19 there were around 367,000 new cases of cancer in the UK and, sadly, around 165,000 deaths. Early diagnosis followed by swift access to the most effective treatment remains as important as ever for survival. It is also essential to preserve cancer patients’ quality of life through a personalised, holistic approach to their care.

Over 2 million people were estimated to be waiting for cancer screening, testing and treatment. In addition to this, many cancer patients may have been asked to shield, causing immediate disruption to daily life including not being able to see family and friends or do food shopping.

In response to this crisis, Cancer Research UK conducted a survey aiming to understand the impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients’ testing, treatment and care, day-to-day lives and wellbeing, and support for government policies. 

Content

Main findings:

• Overall for many cancer patients the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have had a significant impact on their testing and treatment, and most notably their care.
• This has resulted in a negative impact on the emotional well-being of many cancer patients.
• The government actions that yielded the strongest support during the COVID-19 pandemic were those that would continue to allow testing and treatment to go ahead safely. The actions most supported after the COVID-19 pandemic were ones that would ensure capacity could be met and the backlog of cancer patients addressed.