- By Wayne Rodrigo
- (General Dispatch) – The pandemic in the UK has caused research in other health sectors to shift, according to a study that late cancer screening in some patients can reduce survival rates.
- The study conducted by NHS England in conjunction with the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) reported a 16% drop (350000 people) in cancer screening, with 2.2 million tests being performed in 2020 compared to 1.85 million in 2021.
- Given the reduction in testing, the life prognosis for the British community suffering from the symptoms of cancer has been reduced from 44% to 41% with some cancers that could be cured.
- On the other hand, a report issued by The Times said that lung cancer screening fell by 34 percent, brain cancer fell by 23 percent, income for detecting childhood cancer fell by 21 percent.
- Chris Thomas, senior researcher at the IPPR, said that household restrictions have meant that large numbers of people do not see the need to get tested, with a specific focus on covid-19.
- Including Thomas warned that a campaign should be accelerated to encourage the community to carry out this type of studies in the short term, so as not to have to give a poor prognosis regarding a possible collapse of the hospital centers.
- Other treatments such as chemotherapy have been affected, they have been cancelled or delayed decreasing the number of patients attended, compared to last year 44,000 patients were not attended.
- However, the IPPR said that the government should prioritize and financially incentivize the NHS with more than the £6.6 billion it had promised, in order to guarantee and increase the survival rate of cancer patients.
Adittional Information:
Breitbart: UK Faces ‘Ticking Time Bomb’ of Missed Cancer Cases, Study Claims
The Times UK: ‘Shocking’ rise in cancer patients not being treated due to Covid-19 concerns, NHS England data shows