The situation is worse than for most other cancer types, the analysis by Cancer Research UK, shared with The i Paper, reveals. In December last year, fewer than one in 10( 9.3 per cent) cancer patients were long waiters.
The 104-day threshold is a key indicator of delays in cancer care within the NHS. However, throughout all of 2024 and 2023, there were at least 100 long waiters for lung cancer every single month.
The NHS in England aims to begin treatment for 85 per cent of cancer patients within 62 days of an urgent referral. But latest data for February shows just 59 per cent of lung cancer patients started treatment within this time.
The last time the 62-day target was hit for lung cancer was December 2011.
Due to there being few to no symptoms at an early stage, lung cancer is regularly diagnosed late. People diagnosed with at the earliest stage are nearly 20 times more likely to survive for five years than those whose illness is caught late.
In the UK, around 35,000 people die from it every year, and it is the most common cause of cancer death, accounting for 21 per cent of all cancer deaths.
A lung-cancer screening programme is being rolled out across England to people aged between 55 and 74 who either smoke or used to smoke. However, it will not be available to 100 per cent of the eligible population until 2030, leaving a postcode lottery until then.
Within the programme so far, detection at stage 1 and 2 stands at 75 per cent, while outside the programme, it is 29 per cent.
An NHS England spokesperson said:“ NHS staff are working hard to ensure that everyone affected by lung cancer receives a prompt diagnosis and treatment, and initiatives such as our Lung Cancer Screening programme have already helped thousands of people across England.
“ We know we must continue to improve, and over the last year [ March 2024 to February 2025 ], 59.5 per cent of patients with lung cancer have been treated within 62 days of an urgent referral.
“ Whilst this is lower than we are aiming for, the improvement on performance from last year is equivalent to an extra 565 patients treated within the target time frame.”