Read: Speedy cancer diagnosis should not depend on where you live
If you were born in the UK, the likelihood that you will develop some form of cancer is one in two. Cancer is a disease that will probably affect almost all of us directly or indirectly at some point in our lives.
What is even more certain is that if you are poor or live in a disadvantaged area, you are more likely to have to wait longer for your diagnosis and treatment. And living in a disadvantaged area means that your outcome from cancer is likely to be worse. When it comes to health disparity across the country, it’s an all too familiar picture.
People from poorer areas in England are 50% more likely than those from wealthier areas to be diagnosed through emergency routes such as A & E rather than through primary care. For those living in the worst-performing regions they are more than twice as likely as people in the best-performing regions to wait longer than two months for treatment, even with an urgent referral for suspected cancer.
There has been some progress. More people were referred for cancer checks by their GPs in the last year, a record 2.7 million, after numbers dramatically declined in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. However, new analysis from Cancer Research UK has found that over 65,000 people in England every month are still waiting too long to find out their cancer diagnosis. And we know that early diagnosis and treatment are critical factors in the outcome of cancers.
New targets were introduced last year which advised that 75% of people should be diagnosed or have cancer ruled out within 28 days of an urgent referral by their GP, or if screening has picked up symptoms. The research shows that target has not been met. Even if this target was met, there would still be 55,000 people waiting each month to hear if they have cancer, or be given the all-clear. There are also major variations across the country with only 78 of 143 trusts meeting the 75% target.
Early diagnosis was highlighted in a report on the NHS's handling of cancer, published last month by the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee. This report stated that the single most effective way to improve overall survival rates would be to diagnose more cancers earlier. Shorter cancer waiting times can lead to faster treatment, a lower risk of complications, enhanced patient experience and improved cancer outcomes.
The Government has signalled its intent to make cancer a priority and recently held a call for evidence that will help shape a new 10 Year Cancer Plan for England, looking at all aspects from prevention to diagnosis and treatment. It is expected to publish its response this summer. Cancer Research UK believes that bold action is required at every stage of the cancer pathway – improving early diagnosis and access to treatment but also making it easier for people to make healthier choices to prevent more cancers, investment in growing the cancer workforce and expanding innovative research.
The disease has the capacity to wreak a huge amount of damage on the lives of those it affects and their families - not just on their health and wellbeing but on their jobs and on their financial security. That has a wider societal and economic impact as well as placing ever greater demands on our NHS staff. In a week when the number of people waiting for hospital treatment in England reached another record high, giving people access to prompt cancer diagnosis and treatment wherever they are in the country - and live healthier and dignified lives as a result -will help to level up the health playing field. The inequalities in cancer healthcare must be addressed as a matter of urgency.
By Rt Hon Anne Milton