Breast cancer sufferers face long reconstruction backlog

NEARLY one in two women needing reconstructive surgery after breast cancer faced a delay of at least two years in the pandemic.

Patients said the crisis, which saw hospitals focus on the virus, had a “significant impact” on waits for operations.

Despite reconstruction services starting again, the latest figures show disruption is still lingering.

There has been a 34 per cent drop in surgeries in England in 2021/22 compared with 2018/19.

Women are likely to face even longer waits than before the pandemic for a procedure that nine in 10 regard as vital.

Limits

And campaigners warn women in England are facing a “postcode lottery” in getting services.

Patients in some areas have difficulty accessing certain types of reconstruction or face limits on the number of operations they are allowed.

And some are given a cut-off point for having the procedure altogether.

NICE guidelines recommend healthcare professionals discuss reconstruction options and what they involve with patients.

But charity Breast Cancer Now revealed only six in 10 of women who had or were waiting for surgery for breast cancer “definitely” felt involved in making the reconstruction decision. Almost one in five women awaiting reconstruction felt unable to get support as they made their choice.

Baroness Delyth Morgan, chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, said: “For women who choose breast reconstruction, it is a core component of their recovery.

“Far from a solely aesthetic choice, this is the reconstruction of their body and identity after they have been unravelled by breast cancer treatment and surgery. Through our helpline and insight work, we hear of patients affected by delays to reconstruction surgery and the significant emotional impact this has.

“This includes altered body confidence, loss of self-esteem and identity, anxiety and depression and hindering their ability to move forward with their lives, knowing their treatment is incomplete.

“This is why we’re so deeply concerned at our research revealing women are too often being denied vital access to the type of breast reconstruction right for them and at the right time.

“Barriers must be removed and access to reconstruction must be timely, fair, supported and informed for all women who choose it.”

It is calling on NHS England to work with Breast Cancer Now, the Association of Breast Surgery and the British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons to develop a plan to address the backlog.