Dr Jodie Moffat, health information manager at Cancer Research UK, said: "Radiotherapy plays a hugely significant role in the treatment of cancer. Although we have seen improvements in the amount of time people across the UK are waiting for their radiotherapy in recent years, we know that there are still some people who are waiting too long. This is not only distressing for patients, but as this research shows, could also have an impact on whether their treatment is successful. So it's important that all patients receive radiotherapy without delays.

"Cancer Research UK is calling on the governments across the UK to improve access to radiotherapy services. We know that radiotherapy can be complicated to plan and deliver, so we want to see strategies and resources in place to ensure that people receive radiotherapy when they need it and to reduce the unacceptable variations in radiotherapy provision across the country." 

Source: Cancer Research UK