Cancer care
“The 62-day target for referral to first definitive treatment for cancer has not been met since December 2015” Darzi review
Can we turn things around by December 2025?
There is an emphasis on cancer care in the Darzi review. Here are some highlights. Lowlights might be a better word.
• “The number of cancer cases in England has risen at a rate of 1.7 per cent a year from 2001 to 2021” • “The UK has appreciably higher cancer mortality rates than other countries.” • “When it comes to systemic anti- cancer therapies, there continue to be significant disparities in how quickly patients are able to access new treatments” • “No progress whatsoever was made in diagnosing cancer at stage I and II between 2013 and 2021.”
Not so great really. And not so easy to turn around. Especially because it is not easy to diagnose cancer early - for lots of reasons. Such as • Diverse and subtle presentations • Most people with suspicious symptoms have benign and self-limited conditions • GPs have limited time • Some patients may minimise symptoms • Fears of over-investigation, over-diagnosis, and over-treatment So how can we help? The purpose of BMJ Best Practice is to help get the balance right. To further explore subtle symptoms. To avoid the twin perils of under and over-diagnosis. To do all of this in a short time frame. Because there are no easy answers
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