Retiring NHS England boss says cancer treatment on ‘cusp of golden era'
Professor Sir Stephen Powis said he expects the development of drugs harnessing the body's immune system to fight the disease will bring 'great advances in cancer survival'.
In his final interview before retiring, Sir Stephen, 64, told The Times: 'We are at the cusp of a golden era in terms of the way we treat a range of cancers.
'For many cancers now, people should be confident that it's not a death sentence and that more treatments will become available.'
He said the rise in people living longer and surviving cancers would continue, alongside cures for some forms of the disease.
'Our understanding of the genetics of cancer, of the way we can target cancers with particular drugs, and how we can use the body's own immune system to target cancers itself, is being revolutionised,' he said.
He compared the progress made in treating cancer with the success in developing HIV/Aids treatments since he qualified as a doctor 40 years ago.
He also said an increased focus on prevention will help eliminate certain types of cancer.
🧵Today is my last day working at NHS England. It has been an honour to serve as National Medical Director for the last seven and a half years. Thank you to everybody who has supported and encouraged me over the years.
— Professor Stephen Powis (@NHSEnglandNMD) July 10, 2025
'We can't prevent all cancers, but there are cancers that we can certainly prevent,' he said, adding that he hopes lung cancers will become 'a lot rarer'.
Cancer treatment, he said, would be 'driven by genetics' to become more individualised with the increased ability to pinpoint mutations in cells.
His comments come as experts warned of a 'postcode lottery' in cancer services that focus on improving patients' quality of life and providing urgent care for people with the disease.
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP), the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), the UK Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (UKASCC) and the Association for Palliative Medicine (APM) have called for urgent investment in supportive and acute oncology.
Sir Stephen warned the biggest challenge facing the NHS was the rise in elderly people and the economic pressure that is putting on the younger generation and the economy.
Last week, Sir Stephen warned the British Medical Association (BMA) to 'think really hard' about whether industrial action by resident doctors – formerly junior doctors – planned for later this month is justified.
He told The Times the walkout would cause 'tens of thousands of appointments and procedures' to be cancelled.
The kidney specialist has served as national medical director since January 2018 and held the role throughout the Covid pandemic.
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