Lung cancer patients missing out

13 November 2009

LUNG cancer patients in Weston are six times less likely to get surgery than those in North London, a new report has revealed.

Only five per cent of people diagnosed with the cancer in the town receive operations to remove their tumours, according to figures released by the NHS Information Centre.

The proportion compares to North London, where it is 30 per cent, and in Mid Trent, where it is 20 per cent.

The UK Lung Cancer Care Coalition (UKLCC) has responded to the report, claiming it highlights an 'unacceptable postcode lottery'.

The umbrella group composed of doctors, charities and private health firms says 3,000 patients are dying a year because of lack of treatment.

UKLCC clinical advisory group chairman Dr Mick Peake said the NHS did not have enough specialist thoracic surgeons to carry out the necessary tumour removals.

He said: "Alarmingly, patients who are fit for surgery are being turned down.

"And in some parts of the UK fewer than 10 per cent of patients receive any form of treatment to halt the spread of their disease."

Weston Area Health Trust this week said only a 'small percentage' of lung cancer patients were suitable for surgery.

A spokesman said: "We are very pro-active in discussing our lung cancer patients at multi-disciplinary team meetings and where appropriate, we discuss them with the lung surgeon at the Bristol Royal Infirmary.

"We do this so that all who are suitable for surgery, which is regrettably a small percentage, are given this opportunity."

The trust, however, did perform well for 'actively treating patients', with 60 per cent of cancer sufferers receiving the care.

The spokesman added: "We are particularly proud that this audit shows we are actively treating 60 per cent of our patients.

"It is important to remember that in many cases lung cancer is advanced at diagnosis and difficult to treat successfully, and we are ahead of the national average of 51 per cent for this measure."

Lung cancer is the UK's biggest cancer killer, killing 34,500 people annually - more than leukaemia, breast, prostate and bladder cancer combined.