A recent research showed that UK had worst cancer survival rate in the whole of Western Europe. The Eurocare 4 project from 1988 to 1999 elucidated that complete cure rates in England and Scotland were much lower than counterparts such as Italy and Spain.

Long-term survival rate in UK was found to be lower European average, especially in case of certain cancers.

According to the data, 34.5% of men, and 49.8% of women in England were cured (for all types of cancer) between 1988 and 1999. In Scotland, the figures stood at 30.8% for men, and 44.8% for women.

According to Professor Michel Coleman, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK's abysmal show could probably be blamed on a relative lack of investment in cancer services.

"In five years' time our record will be even worse because we're not accessing the drugs we ought, and we don't have the fancy radiotherapy that Europe can get hold of," says Professor Karol Sikora, of London's Imperial College.

"We need to reduce radiotherapy waiting times, invest in the training and specialization of surgeons, drive recruitment to clinical trials and increase the UK's cancer drug spend up to the average of Western European countries," opined Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK.