Dr Rishi Patel: ‘A joined-up approach to cancer screening is the answer’
.png?rev=eaec4e31e03740b584885562b84b459f&h=581&w=600&la=en&hash=A8F2E4F7537010226B7DA4C9EDE9A8FA "Headshot Rishi Patel")
Vitality’s Clinical Operations Director explains the critical role that cancer screening can play in early detection and improved treatment outcomes, and why joined-up care pathways are key
Cancer remains one of the most common health conditions we face and, despite the progress made in recent years, it still carries a heavy emotional weight that few other diagnoses do.
As Vitality Ambassador Dr Punam Krishan said in a recent interview with Vitality, following her own cancer journey, “nothing prepares you for hearing those words yourself. The shock is physical. The fear is immediate”.
At least every 75 seconds someone in the UK is given a cancer diagnosis, with more than 420,000 diagnosed every year in the UK[1]. Roughly one in two people can expect to be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime.
Meanwhile globally, there are estimated to be up to 20 million new cases of cancer every year[2].
The good news is that cancer survival rates are on the up. In 2025, one in two people diagnosed with the disease can expect to live for at least 10 years, compared with just one in four in the early 1970s[3].
Advanced new forms of cancer treatment, including biological and hormone chemotherapies, are helping to deliver improved patient outcomes[4].
Improvements in early detection and screening are also critical and, like most conditions, the earlier cancer is picked up the better the outcome.
The importance of detecting cancer early
Cancer screening is designed to identify cancer in people who don’t have symptoms. It can also detect precancerous changes before they develop into something more serious. This makes a significant difference to survival rates.
As Dr Rishi Patel, Clinical Operations Director at Vitality, explains: “Screenings aim to identify cancer at an early stage when treatment is more effective, and survival rates are significantly higher”.
“The evidence is clear, early diagnosis is linked to better survival. Early‑stage breast, bowel and lung cancer can have survival rates several times higher than late‑stage detection,” he adds.
To put this into context, research has found that more than six in 10 people survive lung cancer for five or more years if diagnosed at the earliest stage – a figure that falls to less than one in 10 people when lung cancer is diagnosed at more advanced stages[5].
Cancer screenings being missed
Eligibility for cancer screening is targeted rather than universal and NHS programmes invite people based on cancer type, risk and age.
Despite the fact it is “very important to take up screening tests when eligible or recommended to do so”, we know that many people do not attend screening when invited, Dr Patel explains.
Cancer Research UK estimates that at least nine million people in the UK are not up to date with their cancer screening[6].
According to the charity Breast Cancer Now, just 63.6% of women invited for their first breast cancer screening appointment in England attended last year[7]. Elsewhere, cervical screening attendance rates have declined from 72.2% in 2020 to 68.4% in 2024[8].
According to Dr Patel, there can be a variety of reasons for this, including “practical barriers such as difficulty booking a convenient appointment; psychological barriers such as the fear of diagnosis; cultural and social barriers and knowledge gaps, including a limited understanding of screening benefits or awareness of programmes.”
Digital pathways are making screening more accessible
As Private Medical Insurance plans have evolved in recent years, cancer screening has become a key pillar in a more preventative approach to healthcare; one that prioritises early detection and addressing lifestyle risk factors, alongside access to more traditional diagnostics and treatment.
Digital tools are transforming how people engage with preventative healthcare and, increasingly, the first step for many screening and diagnostic pathways can take place online.
With Vitality’s online Cancer Risk Assessment, for example, all members who are identified as ‘at-risk’ are offered discounted screening for breast, bowel, cervical, prostate and skin cancer.
Since launching in 2023, over 28,000 members have completed the Cancer Risk Assessment, with around 10% going on to have appropriate screening through Vitality4.
A joined‑up approach is key
Importantly, though, this must be part of a joined-up, end-to-end clinical journey, directing the patient to the right onward care if the signs of cancer are detected.
“Screening must connect seamlessly into diagnostic pathways, otherwise early detection benefits can be lost”, says Dr Patel, adding that “early detection followed by timely treatment increases survival and reduces disease progression”.
At what can be an extremely worrying time, guiding the individual through what can often feel like a complex onward care journey can also help to alleviate unnecessary stress.
By offering streamlined pathways into care, costs are also reduced by avoiding fragmentation, unnecessary tests or a late diagnosis, according to Dr Patel.
Ultimately, by improving early detection of cancer through appropriate screening programmes, everyone benefits.
“We see lower treatment costs and resource utilisation, with early-stage cancers requiring less aggressive therapies and avoiding high-cost, late-stage treatments such as major surgery, complex chemotherapy or prolonged hospitalisation”, says Dr Patel.
“Healthcare systems, individuals and society all benefit” he adds. “Prevention and early detection lead to better clinical outcomes and better health across the population.”
[3] 50 years of UK cancer data: death rates down by a fifth, but cases up - Cancer Research UK - Cancer News
[4] VitalityHealth Claims Insights Report 2025
[6] At least 9 million people in the UK are not up to date with their cancer screening - CRUK News and Updates - Cancer Chat | Cancer Research UK
VitalityHealth Claims Insights Report 2025
In our 2025 VitalityHealth Claims Insights Report, we consider how consumer needs are changing, and how insurers - and advisers - are adapting to deliver the best possible outcomes for our clients, within a fast-changing environment.
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Dr Rishi Patel: ‘A joined-up approach to cancer screening is the answer’
Vitality’s Clinical Operations Director explains the critical role that cancer screening can play in early detection and improved treatment outcomes, and why joined-up care pathways are key
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