More than 110,000 thousand lives in the East saved from cancer in the last four decades
More than a million lives have been saved over the last four decades in the UK
A cancer support group in Suffolk says science can be proud as it's revealed more than a million lives have been saved over the last four decades in the UK due to advances in cancer care.
In the East of England alone, around 114,000 lives have been saved.
This is according to a new analysis by Cancer Research UK, which has found that since the mid-1980s, UK cancer death rates have fallen by around a quarter.
Last year, Cancer Research UK also spent nearly £49 million in East Anglia on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research.
Susanna Lovell is the founder of the support group 'Cake Cancer and Coffee' in Stowmarket.
She told us the impact goes beyond those with the disease and extends towards the individual's friends and family: "It is incredible.
"Just one person who's there to see their grandchildren and cook Christmas dinner for their family.
"It's an impact that's going to be very important for many, many families and friends, and hopefully more and more going forward.
"It's an incredible gift... think it's it's something that science can be proud of."
Susanna also told us she believes cancer is becoming "more of a chronic disease that people live with rather than die for - and that's a good trend."
What should change around Cancer?
Although Susanna is incredibly pleased with the advancements, she told us there is still more that can be done for those with the disease at the moment.
She would like quicker diagnosis, as well as a "guide for employers".
She understands that everyone's abilities may be different throughout cancer and some people may want to come back to work even if it's just for a few hours a day.
She wants companies to understand that and told us that having a sense of normality can actually help with the healing process and be better off psychologically.
She also wants employers to consider what people are physically capable of - mentioning that people may have to move to the ground floor because they can't face stairs during treatment.
Despite the huge achievement, Cancer Research UK says cancer deaths are still the number one cause of death in the UK.
It also added that advances have not been equal across all cancers.
The charity also raised concerns about the "enormous strain" facing both the NHS and the research sector.
"Thanks to research and progress, a huge number of people in the last 40 years have reached milestones in their lives they didn't think they'd see and had more invaluable time with their loved ones," said Cancer Research UK chief executive, Michelle Mitchell.
"The fact that over a million lives have been saved from cancer in this time reflects the power of research.
"Discoveries into more effective and kinder treatments, improvements to screening programmes, and strategies to help detect and prevent cancer have all been essential to this.
"These trends show that together, we are beating cancer - and we couldn't have made the breakthroughs that have changed people's lives without the generosity of the British public.
"However, despite these hard-fought gains, the situation for people affected by cancer across the UK remains worrying. Long waiting times are leaving many people facing fear and uncertainty.
"Cancer is a fixable problem, with continued investment in cancer research, strong political leadership, and the continued support of the public, we can build upon the fantastic progress from the last 40 years."