Blood cancer survival in the UK lags behind countries of similar wealth, according to a major report compiled for Blood Cancer Awareness Month in September.
The report, from the charity Blood Cancer UK, recommends five measures to improve survival.
These include early diagnosis, reducing barriers to access care, improved use of national data, boosting the NHS workforce, and increasing access to treatments through clinical trials.
The report, compiled by the University of Oxford, finds that 940,000 years of life were lost to blood cancers over the second decade of the century. More than a third of these years were lost to people under the age of 65.
The report also highlights inequalities in survival, finding that if everyone diagnosed with blood cancer had the same survival rate as the most advantaged 20% of people, 6,500 deaths a year could be avoided. The report found inequality in survival rates based upon social background, ethnicity and geographic location.
Professor Adele Fielding, professor of haematology at the University of York, was co-chair of the charity’s taskforce. Professor Fielding said: “We are all aware of the generic issues in the NHS which impact patients across all diseases. But for blood cancers in particular, the UK has started to fall behind the international standard in many and often very basic ways such as staffing levels, availability of new drugs and opening of new clinical trials.
“Coupled with a dwindling pipeline of UK clinical academics to conduct new research, I fear things may get worse. Patients often ask me if they could get better treatment in another country or if they could pay out of pocket for better drugs.
“I was proud of what we offered in the UK and I used to be able to reassure them they were always getting the best. That reassurance is often no longer possible.”
Charity chief executive Helen Rowntree said: “Considering the huge strides we’ve made in blood cancer research in the last 60 years, blood cancer is still the UK’s third largest cancer killer. Needless lives are being lost and for those living with blood cancer there’s a real fear that they’re not getting the best care and support. The blood cancer community deserves better.
“The drivers of better survival in high-performing countries urgently need to be understood and implemented for those affected by blood cancer in the UK."
Source: Blood Cancer UK
Link: https://bloodcancer.org.uk/uk-blood-cancer-action-plan-2/
Disclaimer: The news stories shared on this site are used as a way to inform our members and followers of updates and relevant information happening in Haematology. The BSH does not endorse the content of news items from external sources, and is not in a position to verify the findings, accuracy or the source of any studies mentioned. Any medical or drugs information is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes.
News service provided by Englemed News.