Shocking: Why UK's cancer survival rates are 15 years behind other major countries

Cancer survival rates in the United Kingdom are lagging 15 years behind those in other major nations, according to new research.

This is because thousands of patients are denied life-saving treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

The report claims that countries like Australia, Canada, and Norway are faring far better when it comes to giving such key cancer treatments to their patients.

Let’s take a closer look.

Wait times for cancer treatment

For the study, a team of researchers at University College London analysed data from more than 780,000 cancer patients diagnosed between 2012 and 2017 in four countries: Australia, Canada, Norway, and the UK.

It compared a total of eight cancer types: oesophageal, stomach, colon, rectal, liver, pancreatic, lung, and ovarian cancer.

Both studies, published in the Lancet Oncology, were the first-of-its-kind to examine treatment differences for the aforementioned cancer types in countries across three continents, according to The Guardian.

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The research found that UK patients experienced the longest waits for receiving cancer treatment.

It says the average time to start chemotherapy in England was 48 days, 57 days in Northern Ireland, 58 days in Wales, and 65 days in Scotland.

On the other hand, the shortest time was 39 days in Norway.

When it came to radiotherapy, the UK was at the bottom of the list.

It took 53 days on average for treatment to begin in Northern Ireland, 63 days in England, 79 days in Scotland, and 81 days in Wales.

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The Canadian province of Newfoundland had the best record, with an average wait of 42 days.

Compared with the province, waiting days for radiotherapy in Northern Ireland were 11 days longer; they were three weeks longer in England; and seven weeks longer in Scotland and Wales.

The proportion of people who receive the treatment

According to the study, a lower proportion of people with cancer in the UK were given chemotherapy and radiotherapy than in other nations.

31.5 per cent of British patients received chemotherapy, in comparison with 38.5 per cent in Canada, 39.1 per cent in Norway, and 42.1 per cent in Australia.

When it came to radiotherapy, only 19.8 per cent of UK patients received it, compared with 25.7 per cent in Canada, 22.5 per cent in Norway, and 23.9 per cent in Australia.

In the UK, older patients were the least likely to receive both treatments.

Only 2.1 per cent of UK patients aged 85 and over received chemotherapy, while 8.1 per cent and 14 per cent received the treatment in Australia and Canada respectively.

Over 59 per cent of ovarian cancer patients in Britain received chemotherapy, in comparison to 67 per cent in Canada, 72 per cent in Norway, and 73 per cent in Australia.

The same was true for pancreatic cancer patients: 27 per cent in the UK, compared with 41 per cent in Canada, 47 per cent in Norway, and 50 per cent in Australia.

The critics have described this treatment lottery as “blatant ageism.”

Survival rates

Countries with better cancer survival rates used chemotherapy and radiotherapy significantly. They also had shorter waits for treatment, the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership research found.

According to Dailymail, less than 21 per cent of UK patients with stomach cancer in 2010–14 were expected to be still alive five years later, in comparison to patients in Australia, Canada, and Norway which had better odds in the late 1990s.

Dr John Butler, a cancer surgeon and clinical lead for the ICBP, said cancer survival in the UK remained about 10 to 15 years behind that in other countries.

Why the UK is lagging behind

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are crucial treatment options for people with cancer, although they are not needed in all cases.

According to The Guardian, Cancer Research UK, which partly funded the studies, believes delays in treatment were partly due to the government’s lack of long-term planning on cancer in recent years. It claimed nations with strong cancer strategies and funding had seen better improvements in survival rates, while adding that the NHS workforce crisis was also a barrier to delivering treatment.

As per the NHS’ official data for December on cancer waiting times, just seven in 10 (74.2 per cent) of patients urgently referred for suspected cancer were diagnosed or had cancer ruled out within 28 days. The target, as per Dailymail, is 75 per cent. Over 91.1 per cent of patients were waiting a month or less for their first cancer treatment to begin. The target is 96 per cent but this has never been met.

An NHS spokesperson, as per Dailymail, said, “More people than ever are being diagnosed at an early stage of cancer, and more treatment options are available.”

The report quoted its chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, as saying, “When it comes to treating cancer, timing really matters. We can learn a great deal from other countries who have stepped up and substantially improved cancer services. With a general election on the horizon, the UK government has a real opportunity to buck the trends we see in this research and do better for people affected by cancer.”

“For many aggressive cancers — such as ovarian, lung and pancreatic cancer, it’s vital that people are diagnosed and start treatment as soon as possible. Lower use of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the UK could impact people’s chances of survival, especially for older patients,” said Dr Butler, as per Dailymail, while adding that the latest study “captures missed opportunities for patients in the UK to receive life-prolonging treatment.”

Director of Age UK, Caroline Abrahams, was quoted by the UK-based outlet as saying that the study highlights that older people were prone to “unequal treatment” within the NHS. She said, “While it is true that older people are more likely to live with multiple conditions, that alone is not a valid reason to exclude them. With the right support and clinical expertise, many older people can and would, still choose to benefit from cancer treatment.”

The Department of Health and Social Care said, “These figures cover only the period from 2012-2017. Since then, we have made significant investment in cancer diagnosis and treatment, including £162 million towards radiotherapy equipment and £2.3 billion to launch 160 Community Diagnostic Centres across England, which will help us achieve our aim of catching 75 per cent of all cancers at stage 1 or 2 by 2028. Cutting waiting lists is one of the government’s top five priorities, and we have treated record numbers of patients over the last year.”

“Survival rates are also improving across almost all types of cancer, and we will shortly legislate to create the first smoke-free generation — the biggest single public health intervention in decades.”

With inputs from agencies