Late cancer diagnosis 'costing lives and money'

Late cancer diagnosis 'costing lives and money' "Almost half of cancer patients diagnosed too late," says The Guardian, citing a new report that explored both the financial and health impact of late cancer diagnosis.

The late diagnosis of almost all types of cancer usually means the disease has already spread within the body, making it less treatable, reducing a patient's chances of survival, and potentially increasing the cost of effective treatments.

This means an enduring aim of cancer treatment is to pick up the disease as soon as possible, so treatment is more likely to be effective.

The report predicted around 52,000 cases of four common cancers (colon, rectal, lung andovarian) may be spotted too late every year, costing the NHS around an extra £150 million to treat.

Various theories have been put forward to explain why this is the case, including "patients put[ting] their heads in the sand when they feared cancer", and how "doctors are struggling to get patients seen quickly".

Who produced this report on late cancer diagnoses?

The report was produced by Incisive Health, a specialist health policy and communications consultancy, in collaboration with experts at Cancer Research UK, a leading cancer charity. It was funded by Cancer Research UK.

The report – titled "Saving lives, averting costs: an analysis of the financial implications of achieving earlier diagnosis of colorectal, lung and ovarian cancer" – presumed that early diagnosis is crucial, and aimed to uncover the financial implications of achieving earlier diagnosis for colon, rectal, non-small cell lung (the most common type of lung cancer) and ovarian cancers.

The report estimated the number of people currently diagnosed with cancer using national guidance and data sources. This included data on the stage of the cancer when it was diagnosed (where available), and the authors calculated the cost of treatment. They then modelled what would happen if the cancers had been diagnosed earlier.

Links To The Headlines

Almost half of cancer patients diagnosed too late. The Guardian, September 22 2014

50,000 lives cut short by cancer diagnosis failings. The Daily Telegraph, September 22 2014

52,000 cancer cases a year are spotted too late: Delays blamed on 'stiff upper lip' mentality and pressure on GPs not to refer patents for costly tests. Mail Online, September 22 2014

Almost half of cancers 'caught too late'. ITV News, September 22 2014

Links To Science

Cancer Research UK. Half of cancers diagnosed at late stage as report shows early diagnosis saves lives and could save the NHS money. September 22 2014