The NHS has made significant progress in improving important aspects of its cancer care over the last decade, according to MPs.
The Public Accounts Committee noted that mortality rates were falling and there had been consistent achievement of cancer waiting times targets.
It acknowledged that a significant increase in resources had contributed to these improvements, but the progress was also achieved through clear direction and high profile leadership underpinned by strong performance management linked to waiting times and mortality targets.
However, concerns were raised that early diagnosis does not happen often enough, the gap in survival rates between England and the best European countries has not been closed and that wide, unexplained variations in the performance of cancer services and in the types of treatment available across the country.
It added: "It is disappointing that ten years after the publication of the NHS Cancer Plan 2000 there remain significant gaps in information about important aspects of cancer services, in particular information on chemotherapy, on follow-up treatment, and on the stage that a patient's cancer has reached at the time of diagnosis.
Paul Burstow MP, Care Services Minister, said the report showed why the coalition government needed to update the NHS following the Labour administration which had introduced the previous Cancer Reform Strategy in 2007 and NHS Cancer Plan.
"It is unacceptable that our cancer survival rates lag way behind our European neighbours, when we spend the equivalent amount on healthcare," he said.
"If the NHS was performing at the level of the best in Europe, an extra 10,000 lives could be saved each year.
"The coalition government has already launched a new £60million bowel cancer screening service, a £25million fund to improve diagnostics in the community, £50million more on a cancer drugs fund, and set out plans for an extra 1,200 cancer specialists who will be in post by 2012," he added.
