Cancer diagnoses across Britain have surged to unprecedented levels, according to fresh analysis from Cancer Research UK.The charity’s latest report reveals that approximately 403,000 individuals receive a cancer diagnosis annually, equating to roughly one person every 80 seconds.Britain’s growing and ageing population is primarily driving this increase, as the likelihood of developing the disease rises with age.Over the past decade, incidence rates have climbed from 610 to 620 cases per 100,000 people. Cancer waiting times now ranking among the worst ever recorded | GETTYThe NHS is buckling under the weight of this demand, with cancer waiting times now ranking among the worst ever recorded.Last year alone, some 107,000 patients endured waits exceeding 62 days before starting treatment.And despite efforts to catch the disease in its earliest stages, progress has been frustratingly modest.The proportion of cancers identified early has shifted only marginally, from 54 per cent to 55 per cent over the past decade.Mortality rates have declined, and 10-year survival figures have improved. Cancer Research UK cautioned that mounting pressure on services threatens to halt this hard-won progress.Michelle Mitchell, the charity’s chief executive, underscored the urgency of the situation. “More people are being diagnosed with cancer than ever before. Although cancer survival has doubled since the 1970s, progress has slowed over the last decade,” she said.She welcomed the Government’s recently published National Cancer Plan for England, but stressed it must deliver tangible results.”Publishing the plan is not a ‘job done’ on cancer: ambitions to diagnose cancers earlier, meet cancer wait targets and improve best practice treatment must happen quickly,” Ms Mitchell stated.The charity described the plan as a crucial step forward, yet insisted that adequate funding and resources are essential to transform ambition into meaningful impact.Cancer Research UK is urging the Government to expand screening programmes, particularly for lung cancer, ensuring they are rolled out widely and effectively across the country.The charity also called for the accelerated deployment of innovative diagnostic tests to catch the disease sooner.The Government is being urged to expand screening programmes | GETTYBeyond England, the organisation highlighted that Northern Ireland faces particularly acute challenges with waiting times.Investment in specialist staff and cutting-edge equipment must be prioritised nationwide, the charity argued, if Britain is to meet its cancer care ambitions.The Department of Health has been approached for comment on the report’s findings.