York Press column: We need a plan to fight cancer
November 30, 2022
While I usually try to keep my fortnightly columns about positive local news, sometimes it is impossible to avoid commenting about the big issues facing our society. In fact, if it can bring much needed awareness and ultimately do some good then all the more reason to occasionally depart for celebrating big wins for York.
Recently in parliament there has been a lot of focus on cancer. While cancer is something that will impact all of our lives, either directly or indirectly, it is not talked about enough. Every two minutes someone in the United Kingdom is diagnoses with cancer. I suspect that this stat will unfortunately get worse in the coming year as data begins to include the backlog caused by the pandemic. At the time, I warned by focusing our health service almost solely on treating Covid-19 would lead to a far worse health emergency and unfortunately this prediction looks likely to come to fruition.
This month I had the pleasure to meet with patients and families who had lost loved ones to pancreatic cancer when I signed the ‘No Time To Wait’ pledge to call on the Government to produce a long-term plan in response to the pancreatic cancer emergency. Currently, 60 percent of people with pancreatic cancer are being diagnosed in A&E or other emergency care. This is the highest proportion of any common cancer and far more than breast (3 per cent), prostate (8 percent) or lung (36 percent) cancers. This is because pancreatic cancer is often only diagnosed when secondary cancer emerges due to the fact the symptoms of pancreatic cancer are not well known and alone do not immediately point to cancer.
Tragically, for most people this means it is too late for them to have lifesaving treatment. More than half of people die within three months of their diagnosis, making pancreatic cancer the quickest killing cancer.
This does not have to be the case though. Women diagnosed with breast cancer in 1971 had a five-year survival rate of 53 percent, it is now over 85 per cent. Survival rates for pancreatic cancer have not changed. The major difference is breast cancer research has benefitted from significant funding whereas pancreatic cancer has not. This needs to change now as there is no time to wait.
Sadly, even for cancers with remarkable improvements in survival rates, we risk moving backwards due to pandemic backlog. I met with families from across the country who have a loved one awaiting treatment and it was heart breaking to see the legacy of the pandemic impacting their lives.
In England, the Government has set a target of no more than 15% of cancer patients waiting longer than the recommended 62-day wait between the date the hospital receives an urgent referral for suspected cancer and the start of the treatment.
International research shows that for every four weeks of delay, chances of survival for cancer patients falls by an average of 10%. That is why I am supporting the APPG for Radiotherapy, Radiotherapy UK and the #CatchUpWithCancer campaign in their calls to Government to invest in radiotherapy, boost cancer treatment services and tackle the growing cancer backlog
It is not all doom and gloom though. I recently joined residents at to support Dunnington Cancer Support Group’s coffee morning to help raise vital funds for York Against Cancer. It was heart-warming to see the community give their time and money so generously to benefit local patients.
At the meeting, Anne Abbiss, Chairman of Dunnington Cancer Support Group, handed over a cheque for an incredible £10,000 to Julie Russell from York Against Cancer. In fact, the coffee morning alone raised £1702.85 for the local charity.It was incredible to think what a difference a local group can make and to think of these efforts multiplied by all the other groups in York, Yorkshire and the country.
While a cancer diagnosis is still a cause for concern to those impacted, there is cause to be optimistic for the future. We need to build on the progress of the last fifty years and ensure that in fifty years patients face better odds than they do now.
