UK cancer survival rates 'worst in Europe

Cancer sufferers in the UK have the worst survival record in the developed world, according to a major survey published today.

The study by market analysts Datamonitor found that British cancer patients were more likely to die than those in Europe or the US due to poor NHS funding, public awareness and screening programmes, which led to late diagnosis of the disease.

Oncology analyst Kyung Lee said: "Low spending on healthcare expenditure by the UK government has significantly contributed to poor survival for cancer patients in the UK, rendering this rate amongst the lowest in the developed countries.

"The lack of funding has meant that not only is there low-level spending on cancer drugs and treatment facilities, but also insufficient cancer specialists who can provide best care for these patients."

The Department of Health (DoH) has contested the findings, which it claims do not take account of recent investment in cancer care.

But the analysts criticised recent decisions made by the national institute for clinical excellence (Nice) to limit the availability of expensive cancer drugs on the NHS.

Mr Lee said: "The problem of low survival rates of cancer patients in the UK is likely to be exacerbated by the lack of availability of effective drugs."

Datamonitor found that the five-year survival rate for colorectal cancer, where patients diagnosed early have the best chance of survival, was lower in the UK than elsewhere.

The survival rate for patients diagnosed in the first stage of colorectal cancer was only 70% in the UK compared with 90% in the US and 80% in Germany.

In the case of the first stage of breast cancer, five-year survival in the UK was 78%, compared with 97% in the US and 93% in other EU countries.

The research also found that cancer patients in the UK were far more likely to be diagnosed when the disease was advanced and significantly harder to treat, reducing their chances of survival.

Only 50% of UK patients with colorectal cancer were diagnosed in early stages (stages one and two) compared with 63% in the US.

For prostate cancer, 58% of UK patients were diagnosed early, compared to 70% in the US.

Datamonitor blamed the lack of screening for cancers, other than cervical and breast cancer, for late diagnosis and warned it had "potentially fatal" implications.

"Despite most cancers being preventable or even curable if caught early, lack of awareness and screening programmes have further compounded the problem of low survival and many cancer patients continue to be diagnosed or treated at a later stage when the possibility of success is greatly diminished," Mr Lee said.

A DoH spokesman said: "We know that survival rates for cancer patients diagnosed over a decade ago were lower in this country that for comparable European countries.

"That is why in September 2000 we published the NHS cancer plan which sets out a programme of action to improve cancer prevention, deduction, treatment and research.

"This has been supported by significant extra funding. By 2003-4 we will be making available an additional ?570 million for NHS cancer services.

"Datamonitor's figures predate the cancer plan and the significant achievements we have made since its publication.

"For example, over 95% of patients referred by their GP with suspected cancer are being seen by a specialist within two weeks and the latest NHS figures show five-year cancer survival rates are rising by 1.2% for breast cancer, 5.6% for lung cancer and 2.6% for colon cancer."