[Editorial] England's National Cancer Plan: hollow promises?

On Feb 4, 2026—World Cancer Day—the long-overdue National Cancer Plan for England was finally published. The plan sets ambitious targets, promising that three quarters of all patients diagnosed with cancer will survive at least 5 years and that the UK will become a global leader in cancer survival by 2035. However, the feasibility of these ambitions is doubtful. The UK's…