24.01.14
NHS ‘writing off’ older cancer patients
Older patients with cancer could be being denied treatment due to their age, Macmillan Cancer Support has warned.
New research conducted by the charity suggests that cancer survival rates in the over-65s are “poor” and suggests assessments for treatment focus solely on age, rather than overall fitness.
For many common cancers the five-year survival rate is lower in the UK and Ireland than the rest of Europe, statistics show.
Age discrimination and “inadequate” assessment methods must be addressed, Macmillan Cancer Support stated.
Chief executive Ciaran Devane said: “It's wrong to write-off older people as too old for treatment. With a proper assessment and appropriate treatment, our research shows that many older cancer patients can live for a long time and can even be cured.
“While it's good news that so many older people are benefiting from treatment, many thousands more could live longer if our survival rates for over-65s matched those in comparable countries.”
NHS England's national clinical director for cancer, Sean Duffy, said: “We need to deliver better services for people over 65 and 75 because we know there's an issue and interventions need to be designed to that end.”
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