THE amount of cancer patients in Worcestershire living at least a year after being diagnosed with the disease has seen a significant increase over the past 17 years.

Figures released by the Office of National Statistics showed 1,184 patients in south Worcestershire who were diagnosed with the condition in 2012 – 69.3 per cent of total cancer patients in the area – were still alive a year later, in comparison with 935 – or 62.3 per cent – in 1997.

The amount of patients aged between 55 and 64 surviving a year or longer also increased from 70.5 per cent in 1997 to 75.9 per cent in 2012 along with 58.4 per cent of those aged between 75 and 99, up from 49.1 per cent 17 years ago.

The improvement in Worcestershire is mirrored nationally, where the one-year survival rate has increased from 60 per cent in 1997 to 69.3 per cent in 2012.

Worcester MP Robin Walker welcomed the statistics.

“I am glad that Worcestershire has as good a survival rate as the improving national average but there is always room to improve,” he said.

This figure could be set to improve even more with the county’s first-ever oncology centre at Worcestershire Royal Hospital set to open its doors next month, meaning cancer patients will no longer face long, daily trips to Cheltenham or Birmingham for radiotherapy treatment.

The go-ahead was also given last month to begin construction on the county’s long-awaited breast cancer unit following more a campaign backed by your Worcester News launched more than five years ago.

It is hoped the unit will be ready to open in the autumn next year.

Mr Walker said he was delighted so much was being invested in cancer care in the county.

“I hope that these initiatives will keep driving up both the improvement in survival but more importantly the care and the quality of life for cancer patients,” he said.

Although construction work is set to begin on the Worcestershire Breast Unit in the New Year, the campaign still needs £480,000 to pay for furniture, fittings and garden work.

To donate send a cheque made out to the Worcestershire Breast Unit Campaign to FREEPOST RSAX-JTUA-LACU, Worcestershire Breast Unit Campaign Office, Charles Hastings Education Centre, Charles Hastings Way, Worcester, WR5 1DD. No stamp required.

Donations can also be made by direct bank transfer using sort code 40-47-17 and account number 82687771, via justgiving.com/worcestershirehospital-breastunit or text ‘WBUC44 and £1, £2, £5 or £10’ to 70070.

For more information visit www.everybodyknowssomebody.co.uk.