Half of cancer patients not getting the right treatments
On Tuesday 19th February 2025, BBC News reported that audits conducted by the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre (NatCan) across nine major cancers (responsible for 80% of cases) have highlighted significant variation between hospitals and up to half of patients not getting the right treatment.
According to the BBC, NatCan said that while a minority of patients would be choosing not to have treatment themselves and others may not be well enough, that could not fully explain the scale of the shortfall or variation between hospitals.
Prof Ajay Aggarwal, clinical director at NatCan, which is run by the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) for NHS England and the Welsh government, told the BBC that it was concerning so many patients were not getting the recommended treatment, adding that the variation was hard to understand.
He said, “With cancer, we often hear people talking about what the next breakthrough is but, the fact remains, using what we have better could make a huge difference. It would extend and save lives.”
Prof Aggarwal added that there was evidence of smaller hospitals not always referring patients on to specialist centres where they can get treatment, but even some of the big centres were coming up short for some cancers.
RCS President Tim Mitchell echoed the concerns, saying: “The NHS has access to world-class cancer treatments and care, but inconsistent delivery means far too many patients miss out.
“At worst, this may mean some patients are needlessly dying or in unnecessary pain.”
AMMF’s Chief Executive, Helen Morement, responded to this report saying: “Today’s news reveals stark variation in care and access to treatment for major cancers, including those with well-established screening programmes and patient pathways. We know that more than half of people diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma are not offered any specific cancer treatment. The forthcoming National Cancer Plan must address the inequity experienced by people with less common cancers, including cholangiocarcinoma, as well as those with the major cancers.”
AMMF’s Rethink Liver Cancer White Paper published last year revealed:
- More than half (50.5%) of people diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma were given no cancer treatment at all (potentially curative surgery, systemic therapy or stent insertion), which mostly results in high short-term mortality.
- People diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma from the most deprived backgrounds were associated with a lower probability of receiving surgery and systemic therapy.
- People diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma from the most deprived backgrounds were almost 40% less likely to survive compared to the least deprived.
When Andrea Sheardown was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, she was given just 6-8 weeks to live. Rather than accepting this prognosis, Andrea fought for a second opinion, which led her to life-saving treatment.
Andrea told us: “I was told there was ‘nothing they could do’ and was given weeks to live. Giving up wasn’t an option for me, I wanted to see my children grow up, be there for their key milestones in life – I had to stay strong for my family.
“I think it is important to get across that if we had left it to my local hospital at that stage I wouldn’t be here now. It was only from my own perseverance in pursuing a second opinion at another NHS hospital that the offer of life-saving surgery happened.”
Andrea is one of the Faces of Cholangiocarcinoma showing us that timely access to the right specialists and treatment enables people to live a full life after a cholangiocarcinoma diagnosis.
AMMF will be at Westminster on 26th February 2025 to ask for fast and equitable access to specialists in the diagnosis and treatment of CCA within the NHS – a Fairer Deal, Faster.
The Department of Health & Social Care opened a call for evidence on World Cancer Day 2025 to shape the government’s national cancer plan for England. AMMF is preparing a submission to ensure the experiences and needs of people affected by cholangiocarcinoma are heard and considered.
To read the full BBC News article, please go to: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c86pl3962j7o
