Large variations in survival for breast, prostate, lung and brain cancers have prompted Macmillan Cancer Support to urge NHS leaders and GPs to boost post cancer care.
Lung cancer survivors in England alive five years after diagnosis are ten times more likely to develop a new cancer than those with breast or prostate cancer, according to the cancer care charity.
The Cancer's Unequal Burden report - based on research by Macmillan in partnership with Monitor Deloitte and Public Health England's National Cancer Intelligence Network - found one- and five-year survival rates for breast and prostate cancer have improved significantly in recent years.
Only one in five women with breast cancer and one in four men with prostate cancer will actually survive both long-term and in good health.
The picture is even for people with lung or the most common form of brain cancer, glioblastoma, for whom less than 1% survive long-term and in good health.
Macmillan is asking the NHS to improve early diagnosis; provide equal access to treatment; implement the ‘cancer recovery package' and encourage people with cancer to be physically active.
Some cancer survivors are at an increased risk of developing other serious health conditions.
For example, people with prostate or breast cancer have an increased risk (60% and 40% respectively) of being diagnosed with genitourinary problems such as infertility or incontinence.
Ciarán Devane, Chief Executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "Cancer is not just one disease, and therefore there is no one-size-fits-all approach to treatment and aftercare.
"The NHS needs to get much better at using robust data to understand the complex needs of people with different cancers so that services can be planned accordingly. It's no good papering over the cracks any longer, we need a complete system overhaul.'
