UK’s cancer fail
Patients waiting too long for vital treatment, studies show
PATIENTS in the UK have less access to lifesaving cancer treatment than countries like Norway, Canada and Australia.
People are waiting too long for treatment, according to the findings of two studies.
Amy Gray, 37, who lost her mum to cancer after delays in her treatment, said: “These delays leave a family behind that is heartbroken.
“We need to be world-leading in cancer treatment.”
Cancer UK, who part-funded the new research, said the Government must do better. And the Royal College of Radiologists pointed out that each month of delayed cancer treatment raises the risk of death by 10%. The research, published in the
Lancet Oncology, is the first to examine treatment differences for eight cancers. In the studies, countries with better cancer survival typically had higher use of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and shorter waits.
The five-year survival rate for stage three colon cancer was higher in Norway (71%), Canada (70%) and Australia (70%) than in the UK (63%).
Fewer ovarian cancer patients in the UK (59%) received chemotherapy compared to Canada (67%), Norway (72%) and Australia (73%).
Women were also less likely to receive radiotherapy than men across the study. The countries used for comparison had similar wealth and health spending. Dr Katharine Halliday, president of the RCR, said: “The findings underscore the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to address the deficiencies in our system. With a 29% shortage in radiologists, creating a bottleneck in the diagnostic processes, and a 15% shortfall in clinical oncologists, it’s not surprising that our main cancer target has been unmet since 2014.”
Chief executive of Cancer Research UK, Michelle Mitchell, said: “Behind these statistics are people waiting anxiously to begin treatment.
“With a general election on the horizon, the UK Government has a real opportunity to buck the trends we see in this research and do better for people affected by cancer.”
Surgeon Dr John Butler said: “For many aggressive cancers, such as ovarian, lung and pancreatic cancer, it’s vital that people start treatment as soon as possible.
“Lower use of chemotherapy and radiotherapy could impact people’s chances of survival.
“Cancer survival in the UK is still around 10 to 15 years behind leading countries.”