There are roughly 55,000 new cases of breast cancer annually in the UK. Like any type of cancer, it is imperative that it is treated as quickly as possible. However, the percentage of people being treated within a month has unfortunately decreased over the past five years.
Diagnosing, confirming, and treating breast cancer
When a woman is concerned that she might have breast cancer (typically by finding a lump in her breast), so will usually book an appointment with her GP. Should the GP agree that her symptoms are a cause for concern, the woman will be referred for an urgent diagnostic test.
Unfortunately, the wait times for such tests have increased in recent years with statistics showing that there are significant delays in women waiting to be seen by a consultant in comparison to previous years. In summary, the statistics have revealed:
- 68% of people who received an urgent referral due to the possibility of breast cancer were seen by a consultant within two weeks, as of September 2022
- This was down from 93% in 2017 and below the operational standard of 93%
To confirm a diagnosis of breast cancer a doctor would need to undertake a triple assessment such as:
- An examination from a specialist;
- A mammogram screening and ultrasound; and
- Finally, a biopsy to confirm.
However, the statistics have shown that as of September 2022, 84% of people with a referral for breast cancer from the GP got the result in 28 days, higher than the target of 75%. This figure is 65% for all kinds of cancer.
If a patient has been confirmed as having breast cancer, they are then usually referred to surgery. Again, the statistics have shown that 90% of breast cancer patients received their first treatment in September 2022, compared to 98% in September 2017 and below the 96% operational standard target.
Often after surgery patients need to receive radiotherapy in the hope to reduce the chance of the cancer returning. In September 2022, only 88% received treatment within a month, this is a record-breaking low figure in comparison to September 2017 when 97% received treatment.
In some cases, people might need additional treatment, e.g. hormone therapy, chemotherapy, or a targeted cancer drug, in which case would make not only the process longer but increase added wait times.
Minesh Patel, Head of Policy at Macmillan Cancer Support, commented:
“Delays existed prior to the pandemic, but Covid had made these much worse and led to backlogs.
Hardworking cancer professionals are doing the best they can to treat people, but vast gaps in the workforce have been growing for years, leaving NHS staff exhausted and burnt out, and too many people left in limbo waiting to be seen.”
Delays in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer
The British Medical Journal states that every month delays in cancer treatment can raise the risk of death by around 10%.
They say that people whose treatment for cancer is delayed by even one month have, in many cases, a six to 14% higher risk of dying – and that is a risk that keeps rising the longer their treatment does not begin.
Research has found that there is a significant impact on a person’s mortality if their treatment was delayed, whether that be surgical, systemic therapy, or radiotherapy.
Delays in diagnosis could also significantly limit or reduce the treatment options then available for a patient.
Comment
These statistics are a cause for concern for not only the patient’s physical health but also their mental health. It is clear changes need to be made quickly to ensure public health safety.
In the circumstances where a delayed diagnosis of a medical condition has worsened due to the delay or has impacted a person’s ability to fight the condition through treatment that can no longer be administered, medical negligence compensation claims may be able to be brought.
How can we help
Carolle White is a Senior Associate and Legal Executive in our Medical Negligence team, which has been ranked in tier one by the independently researched publication, The Legal 500.
If you require any advice or if you have any questions regarding the subjects discussed in this article, please get in touch with Carolle or another member of the team in Derby, Leicester, or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online form.
Contact us