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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Cancer: The challenge facing the NHS | Cancer: The challenge facing the NHS |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| When it comes to cancer, there are a mountain of statistics. | When it comes to cancer, there are a mountain of statistics. |
| But if you want to understand the challenge facing the nation, simply consider this: The disease has now become so common that one out of every two people born after 1960 will develop it during their lifetime. | But if you want to understand the challenge facing the nation, simply consider this: The disease has now become so common that one out of every two people born after 1960 will develop it during their lifetime. |
| It means that every two minutes someone in England is diagnosed with the disease. | It means that every two minutes someone in England is diagnosed with the disease. |
| The major cause is, of course, the fact we are living longer. But lifestyle factors, such as smoking, drinking and obesity are also playing a role. | The major cause is, of course, the fact we are living longer. But lifestyle factors, such as smoking, drinking and obesity are also playing a role. |
| It means over the past 40 years the number of cancer diagnoses has more than doubled - as this graph from figures collated by the Office of National Statistics shows. | It means over the past 40 years the number of cancer diagnoses has more than doubled - as this graph from figures collated by the Office of National Statistics shows. |
| A system under pressure | A system under pressure |
| But the increase in cases is putting a strain on services. The report published on Sunday covers just England, but across the UK the health service is struggling to meet its targets. | But the increase in cases is putting a strain on services. The report published on Sunday covers just England, but across the UK the health service is struggling to meet its targets. |
| Probably the most high-profile target is the 62-day deadline for patients to start treatment following an urgent referral by a GP. | Probably the most high-profile target is the 62-day deadline for patients to start treatment following an urgent referral by a GP. |
| This is used in all parts of the UK - although it is measured slightly differently in each country so direct comparisons are difficult. | This is used in all parts of the UK - although it is measured slightly differently in each country so direct comparisons are difficult. |
| Nonetheless, all the parts of the UK have one thing in common: They are not meeting their own target. | Nonetheless, all the parts of the UK have one thing in common: They are not meeting their own target. |
| These problems are similar to the ones experienced by A&E and routine hospital operations services. But for cancer it is arguably even more important. The faster patients get treated, the greater their chance of survival. | These problems are similar to the ones experienced by A&E and routine hospital operations services. But for cancer it is arguably even more important. The faster patients get treated, the greater their chance of survival. |
| Want to know more? | Want to know more? |
| Go to our special report page on cancer for more information about the disease and what is being done to tackle it. | |
| Survival rates | Survival rates |
| Talking of survival, how is the NHS faring? Well, survival rates have been increasing. Research by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine shows that five-year survival in England has risen substantially since the early 1970s. | Talking of survival, how is the NHS faring? Well, survival rates have been increasing. Research by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine shows that five-year survival in England has risen substantially since the early 1970s. |
| Fewer than a third of patients diagnosed during 1971-2 lived for another five years. Now more than half do. | Fewer than a third of patients diagnosed during 1971-2 lived for another five years. Now more than half do. |
| But depending on which cancer you have, survival rates vary greatly. | But depending on which cancer you have, survival rates vary greatly. |
| For example, among men five-year survival rates for testicular cancer stand at 97%, skin melanomas 90% and Hodgkin lymphoma 84%. | For example, among men five-year survival rates for testicular cancer stand at 97%, skin melanomas 90% and Hodgkin lymphoma 84%. |
| But for lung cancer it is 11% and pancreatic cancer 5%. | But for lung cancer it is 11% and pancreatic cancer 5%. |
| Among women the survival rates for those two cancers are the same, while the best rates are seen in skin melanomas at 93%, followed by thyroid cancers at 87% and breast at 86%. | Among women the survival rates for those two cancers are the same, while the best rates are seen in skin melanomas at 93%, followed by thyroid cancers at 87% and breast at 86%. |
| And yet... | And yet... |
| Despite the overall improvements it is also clear the NHS has some way to go before it achieves the results of some of the best-performing health systems. | Despite the overall improvements it is also clear the NHS has some way to go before it achieves the results of some of the best-performing health systems. |
| A report by the Nuffield Trust think tank published earlier this month looked at how the UK was performing against 14 similar countries when it came to three common cancers. | A report by the Nuffield Trust think tank published earlier this month looked at how the UK was performing against 14 similar countries when it came to three common cancers. |
| The mortality rates date back to 2010, but still give a good indication of how far there is to go. | The mortality rates date back to 2010, but still give a good indication of how far there is to go. |
| Improving services | Improving services |
| A big part of England's new cancer strategy is improving earlier diagnosis - half of patients are currently diagnosed at an advanced stage with a fifth only happening after a visit to an A&E department. | A big part of England's new cancer strategy is improving earlier diagnosis - half of patients are currently diagnosed at an advanced stage with a fifth only happening after a visit to an A&E department. |
| Improving access to tests is a key part of this. | Improving access to tests is a key part of this. |
| But there is also a lot of work is going on to develop new treatments. My colleague Fergus Walsh explains what's been happening in this video below. | But there is also a lot of work is going on to develop new treatments. My colleague Fergus Walsh explains what's been happening in this video below. |
| Lifestyles matter too | Lifestyles matter too |
| But for all the emphasis on testing and treatment, there is a lot people can do. Four in 10 cancers could be prevented by changes to lifestyles. | But for all the emphasis on testing and treatment, there is a lot people can do. Four in 10 cancers could be prevented by changes to lifestyles. |
| The biggest cause of cancer is smoking, but a host of other activities from diet to exercise also play a role. | The biggest cause of cancer is smoking, but a host of other activities from diet to exercise also play a role. |
| If we are going to improve the odds in the fight against cancer, everyone has a role to play. | If we are going to improve the odds in the fight against cancer, everyone has a role to play. |