Oldham among poorest lung cancer survival rates

OLDHAM has one of the lowest survival rates in the country for lung cancer, a new report has revealed.

According to second annual cancer reform strategy from the Department of Health just 23.2 per cent of patients survived 12 months after diagnosis, compared with 28.1 per cent nationally.

For bowel cancer one-year survival was 69.9 per cent in Oldham, one of the higher survival rates across Greater Manchester. The international “good practice” level is 79 per cent.

Breast cancer survival rates across the borough were 95.7 per cent compared with 99 per cent in Torbay but just 89 per cent in Tower Hamlets.

According to the report NHS Oldham are failing to meet the 62-day compliance rate from urgent referral to first treatment.

Gail Richards, NHS Oldham chief executive, said: “We are committed to continuing to improve the care and treatment of people with cancer and those with suspected cancer.

“An example of where we are doing well on this is the high rates we have achieved for screening and treatment of breast and bowel cancer.

“Unfortunately, lung cancer has low survival rates across the country.

“We will be taking on board the results of recent studies into symptom awareness and working with GPs and nurses to improve diagnosis rates. We are working with primary care colleagues, The Christie hospital and Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust to ensure patients can access the best care as quickly as possible if they have suspected cancer.”

Charity Cancer Research slammed the “shocking postcode lottery”.

Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “These shocking statistics confirm that the cancer postcode lottery remains a real problem.