'Unacceptable' delay in cancer treatment as early diagnoses reach record levels

CANCER diagnosis has reached record levels but thousands still face "unacceptable" treatment delays, official figures show.

- Giles Sheldrick

Three in five patients are now being told they have the disease early when it is easier to treat.

But thousands remain at the mercy of a postcode lottery and are waiting longer than the gold-standard of 62 days to start therapy in a scandal that is today described as "shameful".

Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: "Catching cancer at an early stage saves lives. Despite this, people still face unacceptable delays for vital care."

The NHS cancer "operational standard" states 85% of patients will receive their first treatment within two months of an urgent suspected cancer referral. It applies to anyone who has been diagnosed, including those where the killer disease has returned.

But official figures for October show just 19,564 patients, or 68.2%, were seen within the time frame while 9,140 waited longer.

The target was last hit in 2015. The figures suggest better diagnosis, but hugely variable treatment, and lays bare the reality sufferers face depending on where they live.

Data from October also shows 222,888 patients were told they had cancer, or it had been ruled out, within the four-week wait from urgent referral, representing a performance of 77.1% against an operational standard of 75%. Some 66,147 fell outside the target.

And 54,627 patients were seen within one month from a decision to treat to receiving their first therapy, representing a performance of 91.5% against a target of 96%. Some 5,067 fell outside the standard.