NHS data for England showing rise in cancer checks is misleading, say experts | Cancer

NHS figures that show more people than ever are being checked for cancer have been criticised as “misleading” by experts.

Official data published on Monday reported that almost 3 million people in England were tested for cancer in 2022, a 133% increase in the decade since 2013.

The latest monthly figures also show that October 2023 was the highest month on record for cancer checks, with 269,492 urgent referrals.

But leading cancer experts dismissed the figures as “misleading” and “smoke and mirrors”, noting that the NHS was failing to meet every cancer target by significant…