OBJECTIVES: The aim of this research was to ascertain whether there were any trends in cancer mortality after hospital admittance and diagnosis that could be linked to recent approval of therapies by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). METHODS: Using information provided by Hospital Episode Statistics and the Office of National Statistics, yearly mortality data from both the inpatient and outpatient population between 2007 and 2010 were extracted. An analysis of 30-, 60-, and 90-day mortality following admittance to hospital was undertaken for malignancies which had seen therapies approved by NICE after 2006. RESULTS: Of the 37 cancer therapies assessed by NICE between 2006 and 2010 inclusive, 27 were recommended. Patients with lung cancer were found to experience one of the highest mortality rates overall. Interestingly, lung cancer also saw the largest number of therapies approved between 2006 and 2010 (7), along with a steady decline in the annual 90-day mortality over the three year period (29.6%, 28.4% and 27.1% in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10, respectively). Similarly, patients admitted to hospital with oesophageal cancer experienced a high 90-day mortality rate, ranging from 22% to 21.9% in 2007-08 and 2009-10, respectively. However, between 2006 and 2010, no therapies were submitted for NICE appraisal for oesophageal cancer, suggesting that there may have been a lack of research interest and potentially explaining why there was no substantial decrease in mortality from 2007, as compared to indications where therapies had been approved, such as lung, colon and breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The recommendation of therapies and their uptake in the UK may at least partially explain the trends noted in this study, although other factors such as delay in therapy uptake and off-label use may also need to be taken into account.