Last reviewed: 16 January 2026
Last reviewed: 16 January 2026
On Thursday 7 May 2026, a Senedd election was held in which 96 Members of the Senedd (MSs) were elected. The election marked the first expansion of the Senedd since its establishment, increasing its membership from 60 to 96 Members following reforms to the Welsh electoral system.
Ahead of the 2026 Senedd election, our manifesto set out the measures the Welsh Government should take to help prevent around 5,500 cancer deaths between now and 2040. The recommendations Cancer Research UK made were:
Develop, fund and deliver a long-term cancer strategy to improve cancer outcomes in Wales.
Support the NHS to deliver cancer services for everyone, both now and in the future.
Combat lung cancer – the biggest cancer killer in Wales.
Strengthen the research and innovation ecosystem to enable research to flourish and get innovations to patients faster.
The Cancer Intelligence Cancer Statistics Data Hub contains all core cancer statistics, including incidence, mortality, survival and projected cases and deaths statistics. These statistics can be filtered by nation and cancer site. The data includes narrative text and can also be downloaded in pdf format. If you have any questions regarding the data or the interpretation of this data, please contact: cancerintelligence@cancer.org.uk
View the Wales Cancer Statistics Data Hub
We spent around £3m in 2023/24.
Cancer deaths have fallen by a tenth in the last 10 years.
Around 19,800 people are diagnosed with cancer each year.
More than half (52.7%) of cancers with a known stage are diagnosed early.
Around 9,100 people die from cancer each year.
Almost 3 in 20 (13%) of adults smoke.
More than 6 in 10 (62%) of adults are overweight or obese.
A quarter (24.8%) of children are overweight or obese.
Around two-thirds (67.2%) of people aged 60-74 have taken part in bowel screening.
We spent around £3m in 2023/24 million in institutes, hospitals and universities in Wales on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research. We work in partnership with Cardiff University, Cardiff and Vale Health Board and Velindre NHS Trust to support research in Wales into many aspects of cancer. Our research in Wales includes research into bowel, breast, urological and prostate cancers, as well as leukaemia.
In the UK, 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Every year around 19,500 people in Wales are diagnosed with cancer. Thanks to research, cancer survival in Wales is improving, with 58.5% of people surviving their cancer for five years or more. Yet there is still more to be done to accelerate progress so that 3 in 4 people survive their cancer by 2034. Health is a devolved matter in Wales. This means that decisions about health policy in Wales are made by the Welsh Government and by Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament. We work with Welsh Government, Senedd Cymru and its 96 Members to keep cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care among Wales’ top public policy priorities.
Cancer Research UK works with Members of the Senedd (MSs), Welsh Government, health leaders and many in the Welsh third sector to campaign for better care and treatment for people affected by cancer.
Launched Longer, Better Lives: A Manifesto for Research and Care in Wales, ahead of the Senedd election. This formed the basis of our Turning Point for Cancer campaign, which helped establish cancer as a key priority during the election.
2025: Continued our role as Vice-Chair of the Wales Cancer Alliance, and contributed to its manifesto(PDF) ahead of the Senedd election.
2025: Launched a parliamentary event through the CPG on Cancer, marking the forum’s work and the challenges facing people living with cancer in Wales.
2025: Continued our role as Co-Chair of the Obesity Alliance Cymru, and helped steer its manifesto(PDF) ahead of the Senedd election.
Worked with partners to secure HFSS Price Promotion legislation in the Senedd, which will help rebalance the food environment in Wales.
2023: Published our inequalities report and media campaign, focussing on the impact of socioeconomic inequalities throughout the cancer pathway.
2022: Worked with the Wales Cancer Alliance, Wales Cancer Network and Welsh Government to support the development of ‘A Cancer Improvement Plan for NHS Wales’ (published 2023).
2021: Worked with all parties and candidates during the Senedd Election campaign to ensure cancer was a priority for all political parties.
2020: Focused on ensuring people affected by cancer were supported through the COVID pandemic, in order to ensure people had access to treatments, diagnostics and screening when possible.
2018: Provided thought leadership on the barriers facing the medical research environment in Wales. Our work has been used to develop a new Wales cancer research strategy.
2017: Supported initiatives to improve earlier diagnosis in Wales, including funding evaluation of the Rapid Diagnostic Clinic pilots in South Wales, and supporting the Single Cancer Pathway.
All Things Being Equal - Inquiry into cancer inequalities in Wales caused by socio-economic deprivation (PDF, 648 KB)(Report June 2023)
£42 million invested in life-saving research
2,360 people volunteered in 83 shops, raising £13.5m
50 local groups and committees raised £687k
28,833 participants raised £1.74m at 29 CRUK events
5,240 supporters have pledged over £7.08m in gifts in wills
10,490 people were reached through our Cancer Awareness Roadshow
Media volunteers are at the heart of helping Cancer Research UK raise awareness of our work in Wales. By sharing personal experiences, our volunteers also inspire others to support us.
If you have a cancer experience and would feel comfortable with details appearing in a newspaper, online, radio, TV, magazines or on social media then we’d be grateful if you could complete our Share Your Story form
Everyone’s story is important. By becoming a media volunteer, you can:
help highlight the experiences of real people affected by cancer.
raise awareness of symptoms and help with cancer prevention.
give inspiration and hope to other people affected by cancer.
inspire others to fundraise for Cancer Research UK.
Once you have filled out the form, your details will be stored on a secure database. We won’t share any of your details without your permission and a member of experienced staff will contact you directly if a suitable media opportunity arises.
Campaigns Ambassadors play a critical role in our mission to beat cancer sooner. They save lives by persuading politicians to support cancer research, prevention, early diagnosis and access to treatments.
You can be part of a determined group that have made significant changes to the nation’s health.
Our successes have included:
Bringing in laws to protect young people from sunbeds.
Ending smoking in enclosed work and public places.
Ensuring Welsh Government is committed to restricting price promotions on unhealthy foods and limiting hot food takeaways near schools
This is a flexible, home-based volunteering role, which can fit around your current commitments.
Become an Ambassador todayIf you would like to find out about our priorities in Wales please get in touch. We’re keen to work with MSs and provide them with the tools needed to keep cancer on the agenda.
X: @CRUKCymru
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