The statistical figures released show that about 33% of breast cancer patients in London were diagnosed in late stages of the disease.
Advertisement
Cancer Research United Kingdom have highlighted the stark differences in rates of diagnosis, with a few patients only being diagnosed in the later stages of the disease.
The charity said that if all regions of England were as good as the South West at diagnosing cancer early almost 20,000 more patients over two years could be diagnosed at stage 1 or 2, giving them a better chance of survival.
The researchers discovered that people’s chances of being diagnosed early could also depend on which cancer they have, with areas that were among the best for diagnosing one type of cancer early not always doing as well when it came to other types of the disease.
In relation to bowel cancer, Merseyside was at the bottom of the table again, with nearly 60% of patients diagnosed late compared with half of those living in the best-performing region, East Anglia.
Analysing Public Health England data from 2012-13, the charity found that nearly half the cancer patients in Merseyside, for example, are diagnosed late – compared to 40% of patients in the south west. Though both statistics are high, survival for a few of the most common types of cancer is around three times higher when the disease is detected in earlier stages (1 and 2).
A new report states that as per diagnosis lottery, cancer patients in few parts of the country have much better chance of survival as compared to others.
Dr Jodie Moffat, head of early diagnosis at Cancer Research United Kingdom, said nobody knew for sure why there was such a variation between areas.
The campaign will encourage people to know what’s normal for their bodies so they spot unusual changes and see their GP about possible cancer symptoms without delay. A stage 3 growth has moved into surrounding tissue or lymph nodes and stage 4 of the illness means the cancer has spread to other organs.
She added that it is vitally important to support Global Positioning System in the diagnosis of cancer and cited resources that help ensure patients are investigated promptly.
But East Anglia was poor for diagnosing melanoma skin cancer, rated at one of the worst areas in the UK. The available data indicate widespread problems, with far too many patients being diagnosed later than they should be. “Our paper suggests that families where an adult – especially a working-age male – is diagnosed with cancer suffer short-term and long-term declines in their economic well-being”, said lead researcher Anna Zajacova from University of Wyoming. “We need to improve workplace and insurance safety nets so families can focus on dealing with the cancer treatment rather than deal with the financial and employment fallout”.
Such negative impacts of a cancer diagnosis are particularly pronounced among working-age men, according to an article published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
Advertisement
“I urge it to commit to the full package of recommendations as quickly as possible to get the best possible outcomes for all cancer patients”.
