Cancer is rapidly becoming a manageable condition rather than a fatal diagnosis, thanks to a wave of transformative medical breakthroughs, according to Professor Sir Stephen Powis, the outgoing National Medical Director of NHS England. In an exclusive interview with The Times UK, Powis describes a “golden age of cancer treatments” that could soon see many cancers cured or controlled with advanced, personalised therapies.
“We are at the cusp of a golden era in terms of the way we treat a range of cancers,” Powis said. “People are living longer with cancers, surviving cancers — and we are curing some. That trend will continue over time.”
One in two people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. But where once a cancer diagnosis carried a grim prognosis, survival rates have doubled in the past five decades. Half of all patients now survive at least 10 years, up from just 25% in the early 1970s. Breast cancer survival rates have risen even more dramatically, with three in four women now living at least a decade after diagnosis.
The engine behind this transformation is a “treatment revolution,” Powis explained, driven by rapid advancements in immunotherapy, genetic testing, and personalised medicine. Immunotherapy — which trains the body’s immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells — is already part of routine NHS care for thousands of patients. These therapies have proven particularly effective against aggressive forms of head and neck cancer, according to the report.
Among the most promising innovations are personalised cancer vaccines, which use the same mRNA technology that powered Covid-19 vaccines. These bespoke treatments teach the immune system to recognise and attack specific tumours and are being rolled out to up to 10,000 NHS patients over the next five years. Trials have shown promise for deadly cancers such as those of the brain, lung, pancreas, skin, and bowel.
In a world first, the NHS has also begun offering DNA blood tests to identify the unique genetic signature of individual tumours, allowing doctors to tailor treatments more precisely and increase survival odds. Powis noted that this shift toward “individualised cancer treatment” is being accelerated by breakthroughs in genetic profiling.
“Our understanding of the genetics of cancer, of how we can use the immune system and target specific mutations — that is being revolutionised,” he said.
As he prepares to step down, Powis draws a powerful comparison between the transformation in cancer care and the dramatic turnaround in HIV/AIDS treatment during his career. “As a young doctor, I saw the terrible pain and the death HIV/Aids caused… Now people can live a normal life. Doesn’t medicine advance?”
Prevention efforts are also key. Powis pointed to the smoking ban for younger generations and the rollout of the HPV vaccine, which he says puts the UK on track to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. “Some of the diseases I’ve seen over my 40 years will be rare for doctors in the next 40 years,” he said. “We can’t prevent all cancers, but there are cancers we can certainly prevent.”
Despite these advances, Powis warns that the NHS faces two major challenges: an ageing population and economic pressure. “People in their 70s, 80s, and 90s often have multiple medical conditions. And if the economy doesn’t perform, that creates real challenges for NHS funding,” he said.
Powis, who qualified as a doctor 40 years ago and led the NHS’s response to the Covid pandemic, is being succeeded by Professor Meghana Pandit and Dr Claire Fuller. He is also working alongside England’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, on a review aimed at improving NHS training and working conditions for young doctors.
Reflecting on his own journey — from a family of miners in North Wales to one of the UK’s top medical positions — Powis championed the importance of diversity in medicine. “It’s really important that we have a diverse range of people coming into medicine,” he said. “It helps address health inequalities.”
Finally, despite the ongoing pressures on the health system, Powis remains convinced of the NHS’s value: “I am more convinced than ever that the NHS is the right model of healthcare for the UK. It must be supported to succeed.”
