Redesign got chemo back on track fast

Cancer treatments in Scotland resumed quicker than elsewhere in the UK after the first lockdown, according to new research.

A study by Dundee University researchers showed chemotherapy treatment was almost fully restored in Scotland, just a month after a service redesign sparked by coronavirus.

Anti-cancer treatments in Scotland dropped by almost one-third in March due to fears it would make vulnerable people more susceptible to catching coronavirus, but clinicians found ways to adapt to protect patients.

Research showed changes included developing protected areas for chemo treatment and switching patients to alternative chemotherapies which required less contact and had fewer side-effects.

Russell Petty, professor of medical oncology at Dundee University’s School of Medicine, said: “Our analysis shows NHS Scotland rapidly recovered and maintained cancer chemotherapy for patients during the first wave.

“The initial decrease in activity lasted only a few weeks and, even at its nadir (lowest point) far more cancer services were operating than in many other countries.

“The prospect of cancer treatments being postponed or cancelled has been a real fear for patients and their loved ones over the past year. There has been increasing anxiety about the indirect impact on cancer treatment, so this study provides reassurance that the impact and disadvantage for cancer patients in Scotland was limited.”

At its lowest point, cancer treatments dropped by 29% in Scotland, compared to 45% in England and 66% in Northern Ireland, according to the research published in the British Journal of Cancer.

It sparked fears that delays in treatment allowed cancer to progress and become terminal.

In Scotland, the rapid redesign also expedited the approval of new medicines, which researchers say has provided better treatments, in a rare positive to the pandemic.

NHS Tayside confirmed all chemotherapy treatment is going ahead as normal.

Professor Petty added: “New treatments that clinicians had been gradually introducing to improve chemotherapy were greatly accelerated as a result of the pandemic.

“Processes that would normally take months or even years took just weeks while the UK Coronavirus Cancer database allowed us to collect data on the safety of treatments for patients.

“These activities have placed us in the best position to sustain treatment in the second wave and, in the mediumterm, chemo services will have actually improved.”

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman welcomed the findings and encouraged people not to hesitate in seeking medical help with health concerns.