Better treatment has helped cancer survival rates
◆ Many people will be able to live with the disease for years after diagnosis, writes Dr Gwenetta Curry
Recent cancer data indicates that there are about 375,000 new cancer cases in the UK every year. Breast, prostate, lung, and bowel cancers together account for more than half of all new cancer cases in the UK. Cancer rates and diagnosis vary by age, gender, and ethnicity across the UK but most of the available data are from England and Wales.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women with more than 56,000 new cases in 2019. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men with more than 50,000 cases in 2019. Black men are diagnosed with prostate cancer at 2.1 times the rate of their white counterparts.
The evidence is clear that early detection increases the patient’s chance of survival and attending screenings plays a key role in the detection. Cancer Research UK has identified various barriers to screening uptake with stigma and juggling work or caring responsibilities being linked to lower screening uptake.
Some of these barriers are connected to socioeconomic status, with the need to work potentially clashing with potential treatment schedules. Those who are living in the most deprived areas also have challenges with travel and childcare costs, which contributes to the lower rate of attending screenings as well as followup treatments. Although the screening doesn’t take that long, the travel to the clinic and long waiting times can cause and a loss of wages that some people cannot afford.
The incidence of cancer is the highest among people who are between the ages of 85 and 89 and every year more than a third of all cancer cases in the UK are diagnosed in people ages 75 and over. Over half of the people diagnosed with cancer in England and Wales survive their disease for ten years or more, with the survival rate doubling in the last 50 years in the UK.
Patients with early diagnosis have been shown to have substantial improvements in survival due to better surgery and chemotherapy. Advancements in treatments have also significantly improved the quality of life for cancer survivors so it is important for patients to access the appropriate treatment.
The barriers that have been identified are not unique to cancer patients but impact everyone seeking medical care. There should not be a stigma attached to being ill as most illnesses are out of one's control. As our bodies age, sometimes we need a bit of help to keep things on track.