LONDON (Reuters) - The U.K. government said on Wednesday it wants to save 5,000 more cancer patients a year by 2015 and outlined 750 million pounds worth of extra spending on care over the next four years to improve survival rates.
The plan, Improving Outcomes -- A Strategy for Cancer, focuses on early diagnosis, screening more people, and enhancing treatment and support for sufferers.
"We know the main reason our survival rates lag behind other countries is because too many people are diagnosed late," said the National Clinical Director for Cancer, professor Mike Richards.
"This is why our strategy focuses on earlier diagnosis, which we will achieve through raising the public's awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer."
According to the charity Cancer Research U.K., cancer rates across the country have fallen by a fifth over the past 30 years and by 9% over the past decade.
"Our ambition is simple: to deliver survival rates among the best in Europe, and this strategy outlines how we will make our first steps towards this," said Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.
Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research U.K., said the government had to ensure funding was taken up by frontline services.
"More than one in three people will get cancer at some point in their lives," he said, outlining the scale of the task.
The government said 450 million pounds, part of the total allocated, will give GPs the ability to order almost 2 million extra tests. Those include:
- Chest x-ray to aid in diagnosing lung cancer
- Nonobstetric ultrasound to support the diagnosis of ovarian and other cancers
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy to support the diagnosis of bowel cancer
- MRI brain scans for the diagnosis of brain cancer
In addition, the government said the patients would be given more access to radiotherapy than before, a treatment it saw as critical.
By Stefano Ambrogi
Last Updated: 2011-01-12 16:48:14 -0400 (Reuters Health)
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