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NHS cancer treatment to receive further funding

NHS cancer treatment will receive a £6m funding injection, in order for Britain to stay at the forefront of cancer treatment development, under plans announced by health secretary Jeremy Hunt. Reports Abigail Lillicrap. 

The funding will be used to investigate a new type of radiotherapy, and CRUK trails will be held over the next five years in order to find a possible effective treatment in beating the disease.

Hunt said: “We know what a huge impact cancer has on patients and their families, so it is rightly a priority both for me and for NHS England to secure the most innovative technology to tackle it.

“Aspiring simply to keep up with the European average isn't good enough. We must aim to be the best country in Europe for cancer diagnosis and treatment.”

The health secretary has also called for GPs to work more closely with charities, such as Macmillan and Cancer Research, in order to provide a quicker diagnosis.

The funding announcement coincides with the release of a report by the National Cancer Intelligence Network, which showed survival rates have improved for breast, prostate, ovarian and colonial cancers.

The report works by analysing cancer staging data over a one year survival analysis. Stage specific survival is then used as a benchmark to monitor cancer care in England.

In relative all-stage results of diagnosis in 2012, lung cancer survival increased by 8.3%, ovarian cancer went up from 68.1% to 74.7%, colorectal from 71.5% to 77.7%, prostate cancer from 93.1% to 96.6% and breast cancer survival up from 94.8% to 96.4%.

Sean Duffy, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said: “It’s hugely encouraging to see this significant improvement in cancer survival, which is excellent news for patients and a testament to the hard work of the NHS.”

Cancer Research has also reported a 30% fall in death rates in the top four cancers –breast, bowel, prostate and lung – in the last twenty years. According to the charity, this is due to research in developing detection and treatment as well as more knowledge on causes of the disease, such as smoking.

(Image: c. Neil Hall & PA Wire)

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