Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
19 October 2015 09:04
Some GPs are not referring cancer patients quickly enough, it is thought
Thousands of cancer patients are dying needlessly every year because they are not referred to a specialist quickly enough, research suggests.
Patients with suspected cancer symptoms are meant to have their first appointment with a specialist within two weeks of seeing a GP.
But research published in the BMJ highlights a higher number of deaths in cancer patients whose GPs do not regularly use the urgent referral pathway.
Cancer caught early enough is often treatable and patients can supplement their treatment with a holiday by taking out cancer travel insurance.
Death rates
Lead author of the research Professor Henrik Moller, an epidemiologist at King's College London, estimates that 2,400 unnecessary deaths occur in the worst performing practices but says the figure could be higher.
The study, which was funded by Cancer Research UK and the National Institute for Health Research, looked at data from 215,284 cancer patients in England in 2009.
It found death rates rose by 7% for patients whose GP practices used the two-week wait less often than those with a typical referral rate.
At the other end of the scale, patients from the best performing practices had a 4% lower death rate compared with those with a typical referral rate.
The data was gathered from 8,049 GP centres in England where patients were diagnosed or first treated in 2009 and followed up to 2013.
Early diagnosis
Professor Moller says increasing GPs' cancer awareness and their likelihood of urgently referring cancer patients could help to reduce deaths.
However, he concedes there is a fine line to tread between using the urgent referral route regularly and using it too much as the NHS is not equipped to cope.
Sara Hiom, Cancer Research UK's director of early diagnosis, says the evidence shows that the earlier a cancer patient is diagnosed, the better the chances of survival.
Tumours can progress if there is a delay in time to diagnosis and starting treatment, she says, adding that it has "never been clearer that reducing late diagnosis saves lives and this research adds to our understanding of what can be done about it".
21 September 2018
UK holidaymakers could be missing out on more than 60 direct flight routes thanks to Air Passenger Duty (APD), a report suggests.
[more...]
20 September 2018
Living in areas with high levels of air pollution could be linked to an increased risk of dementia, new research suggests.
19 September 2018
Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are shelling out tens of thousands of pounds for care - and many are unable to cover the costs, a leading charity has warned.
18 September 2018
As much as £6 of every £10 spent on domestic flights in the UK goes on Air Passenger Duty (APD), new research suggests.
15 September 2018
UK driving licences might become invalid in certain European countries if the UK crashes out of the EU with no deal, the Government has warned.
14 September 2018
Online crowdfunding for cancer treatments is indirectly advancing the rise of alternative "quack" therapies, experts have warned.
13 September 2018
A "wee-stick" like those used in pregnancy testing could be employed to prevent thousands of deaths from ovarian cancer.
11 September 2018
As many as 1.3 million passengers endured severe flight delays in the last year, a new study reveals.
08 September 2018
British Airways customers are cancelling their credit cards after the carrier was hit by a 15-day data breach that compromised the details of around 380,000 people.
06 September 2018
Plastic trays at security desks harbour the highest numbers of viruses at airports, new research has discovered.
05 September 2018
Adults are being urged to take advantage of a new online tool to find out if they are at risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
04 September 2018
Child cancer patients regularly have to travel twice as far and pay out twice as much when getting treatment, new data shows.