National cancer audit centre publishes latest results

Results from seven national cancer audits in England and Wales have been published today by the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre (NATCAN). They demonstrate that variations in the quality of cancer care persist in the NHS. With more than 900 new cancer cases per day, improving care and outcomes for patients has never been more crucial.  

Today, the second State of the Nation reports for six new national audits in breast (primary and metastatic), kidney, non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, ovarian and pancreatic cancer, and the latest report in oesophago-gastric cancer (an established audit since 2012) can be found online: 

• National Audit of Primary Breast Cancer (NAoPri): https://www.natcan.org.uk/reports/naopri-state-of-the-nation-report-2025/
• National Audit of Metastatic Breast Cancer (NaoMe): https://www.natcan.org.uk/reports/naome-state-of-the-nation-report-2025/
• National Kidney Cancer Audit (NKCA): https://www.natcan.org.uk/reports/nkca-state-of-the-nation-report-2025/
• National Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Cancer Audit (NNHLA): https://www.natcan.org.uk/reports/nnhla-state-of-the-nation-report-2025/
• National Ovarian Cancer Audit NOCA): https://www.natcan.org.uk/reports/noca-state-of-the-nation-report-2025/
• National Pancreatic Cancer Audit (NPaCA): https://www.natcan.org.uk/reports/npaca-state-of-the-nation-report-2025/
• National Oesophago-Gastric Cancer Audit (NOGCA): https://www.natcan.org.uk/reports/nogca-state-of-the-nation-report-september-2025/   

NATCAN, based in the Clinical Effectiveness Unit of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, aims to strengthen NHS cancer services by looking into all treatments and patient outcomes across England and Wales.  

The State of the Nation reports contain recommendations for NHS cancer services and are published for the first time alongside individual NHS Trust or Health Boards and regional results in the new NATCAN data dashboard, highlighting where improvement is needed. The complexity of cancer treatment is considered for each audit, with an understanding that a patient’s plan must consider the stage of their cancer, fitness and how likely it is they will respond to treatments.   

NATCAN works in close partnership with professional bodies and patient charities to progress cancer care. Patient forums have been established to ensure people with lived experience of cancer play a central role in shaping the quality improvement goals and activities of each audit. The cancer audits are committed to sector-wide engagement to deliver meaningful outcomes for patients, their families, healthcare professionals and the wider system.   

Professor Ajay Aggarwal, Clinical Director of NATCAN and consultant clinical oncologist, said: 

“The power of NHS data to support major improvements in the quality of cancer care has never been greater. We expect the findings from the NATCAN audits will be used by NHS Trusts to continue to drive standards of care and reduce inequalities.”  

Professor Frank Smith, Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: 

“NATCAN audits should act as a beacon of improvement in cancer care. By learning from the findings, we can work together to ensure every cancer care professional delivers best clinical practice, and every patient gets the highest standard of care.”  

Dr Julie Nossiter, Director of Operations, National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre (NATCAN) said:    

“These reports provide a comprehensive overview of patterns of care and outcomes for patients, highlighting both progress and areas where further improvement is needed. We are proud to collaborate with professional groups, charities, and people with lived experience of cancer to ensure that our audits reflect real-world needs and drive meaningful change.” 

Notes to editors:  
   

1. NKCA: https://www.natcan.org.uk/reports/nkca-state-of-the-nation-report-2025/ 

2. NOGCA: https://www.natcan.org.uk/reports/nogca-state-of-the-nation-report-september-2025/ 

3. NPaCA: https://www.natcan.org.uk/reports/npaca-state-of-the-nation-report-2025/ 

4. NAoPri: https://www.natcan.org.uk/reports/naopri-state-of-the-nation-report-2025/ 

5. NOCA: https://www.natcan.org.uk/reports/noca-state-of-the-nation-report-2025/ 

6. NAoMe: https://www.natcan.org.uk/reports/naome-state-of-the-nation-report-2025/  

7. NNHLA: https://www.natcan.org.uk/reports/nnhla-state-of-the-nation-report-2025/ 

8. The National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre (NATCAN) is commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) and funded by NHS England and the Welsh Government as part of the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme (NCAPOP). NATCAN delivers national audits in bowel, breast (primary and metastatic), kidney, lung, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, oesophago-gastric, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancers.  

9. The Clinical Effectiveness Unit (CEU) is a collaboration between the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Department of Health Services Research and Policy of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Since its inception in 1998, the CEU has become a national centre of expertise in the methods, organisation, and logistics of large-scale studies of the quality of surgical care. It has fostered collaborative links with professional organisations, the Department of Health and Social Care, and other relevant bodies within the NHS.   

10. The Royal College of Surgeons of England provides world-class education, assessment, and development to 30,000 surgeons, dental professionals, and members of the wider surgical and dental care teams, at all stages of their careers. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research and championing the best outcomes for patients.       

11. For more information, please contact the RCS England press office: telephone: 020 7869 6054/6053/6060; email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.