Wait times pose risks
Queenslanders left in cancer diagnosis limbo
QUEENSLANDERS are waiting five times the recommended World Health Organisation time frame for vital diagnosis of bowel cancer, reducing the chances of a good prognosis for many.
Bowel Cancer Australia is calling on the Queensland Government to increase funding for colonoscopies.
With almost 12,000 people receiving positive screening results in Queensland, latest statistics reveal people in Queensland are this year waiting 154 days for vital diagnosis, a 13-day increase on the previous year and more than five times the recommended 30-day time frame.
In Queensland between 2011 and 2014, the local government areas with the highest death rate from bowel cancer per 100,000 people were Mount Isa (16.4), Ipswich (13.6), Lockyer Valley (12.7), Somerset (12.7) and Goondiwindi (11.5).
The AIHW’s National Bowel Cancer Screening Program: Monitoring Report 2018 reveals 84.4 per cent of participants from Queensland who received a positive screen did not receive a colonoscopy within the WHO’s recommended one-month time frame, with research showing wait times exceeding 120 days lead to poorer outcomes.
Colorectal surgeon Associate Professor Graham Newstead said people who received a positive screen or experienced bowel cancer symptoms must receive a timely follow-up colonoscopy or the opportunity for early detection was lost.
“We know 90 per cent of bowel cancer cases can be successfully treated if detected early,” Prof Newstead said.
Bowel Cancer Australia chief executive Julien Wiggins said it was unacceptable that people must wait more than five months or even longer for a colonoscopy to learn if they had bowel cancer.
“Research indicates waiting longer than 120 days for a colonoscopy following a positive screen or for people experiencing symptoms are associated with poorer outcomes,” Mr Wiggins said.
“A colonoscopy is not a procedure many would queue for and yet many are in the thousands, which creates anxiety for patients and their families, as they wait to learn their fate.”
By most recent statistics, 4097 people died from bowel cancer in Queensland between 2011 and 2015.
Mr Wiggins said lack of funding by state and federal governments was having
severe consequences, with delays in accessing colonoscopy risking lives.
“There needs to be an ongoing commitment to ensure timely colonoscopy given projected demand,” Mr Wiggins said.
“We need the Queensland Government to commit significant funds for diagnostic colonoscopy if we are to effectively detect and treat Australia’s second-deadliest cancer.”
Demographic data reveals bowel cancer strikes deepest and harshest among rural and retirement communities, where the 50–79 age group comprise at least one-third to one-half of local population.
Bowel cancer patients require timely access to surgery, treatment and cancer support services, however these are not always available locally, which can adversely impact patient outcomes.
Bowel Cancer Australia is the leading community-funded charity dedicated to prevention, early diagnosis, research, quality treatment and the best care for everyone affected by bowel cancer.
For more information visit www.bowelcanceraustralia. com.au or phone the Bowel Cancer Australia Helpline on 1800 555 494.
We know 90 per cent of bowel cancer cases can be successfully treated if detected early. — Prof Graham Newstead