United Kingdom: A new report has found that thousands of people in the UK are losing their lives needlessly from cancer since the country lags behind when it comes to survival rates.
According to the study by Cancer Research UK, big strides have been made in treating the disease over the past 50 years, but slow and late diagnosis, along with delays in treatment, mean progress is “at risk of stalling.”
The report noted that the UK has the worst survival rates for five out of seven forms of cancer compared with Australia, Canada, Norway, Denmark, Ireland, and New Zealand.
“About 20,000 deaths could be avoided every year in the UK by 2040 if ministers adopted a bold new plan for the condition, Cancer Research UK said. A national cancer council accountable to the prime minister should also be created,” it added.
The charity’s report urged more action to speed up diagnosis, get people treated quickly, and recruit a further 16,000 full-time cancer staff by 2029.
The research team stated that cancer was a “fixable problem. Three decades ago, the UK and Denmark were improving cancer outcomes at broadly the same rate, but Denmark has “raced ahead, with consistent funding and long-term cancer strategies.”
“Across the UK, cancer waiting times are being consistently missed, and some have not been met for over a decade. While they wait for diagnosis and treatment, patients and their families face an anxious and worrying time. Investment in prevention, NHS staff, equipment, and facilities is needed to turn the tide,” the report further remarked.
Prof. Sir Mike Richards, a former national cancer director at the Department of Health who now advises NHS England, commented that “the late-stage problem is a big one. Nearly half of all patients with cancer are diagnosed at stages 3 and 4. They have a poor prognosis compared to those in stages 1 and 2.”
“We are not currently on target for the government’s target of 75% being diagnosed (at early stages) by 2028. There’s a lot we can do: we can improve our screening programs, we can improve our diagnosis of symptomatic patients, and we can reduce inequalities in treatment,” Mr. Richards shared.
According to the charity’s report, four in 10 cancers in the UK were preventable, with thousands of cases caused by unhealthy lifestyles and smoking.
Additionally, Cancer Research UK warned that within a year of the next general election, ministers should have raised the age of sale of tobacco products and implemented the 2022 legislation on TV and online advertising restrictions on foods high in fat, salt, and sugar.
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