Doctors braced for huge upsurge in cancer cases

Feb 1 2008 by David Higgerson, Liverpool Daily Post

A SURGE in the number of people suffering from cancer across Merseyside has forced health chiefs to plough £15m into extra treatment, the Daily Post can reveal.

Cases of some cancers are expected to double by 2020 with modern unhealthy lifestyles being at least partly to blame.

Figures seen by the Liverpool Daily Post, produced by regional cancer experts, show the number of cases of cancer diagnosed in the North West annually is expected to rise by 37% between now and 2018, from 35,470 to 48,690.

Breast cancer cases are expect- ed to increase by 54.2%, colorectal cancer by 31%, oesophageal cancer by 49%, and skin cancer cases will more than double.

Liverpool is expected to be among the worst places hit in the North West by the increase in cancer cases, as its general death rate is higher than the rest of the region.

The city’s high mortality rate means an extra 350 people die of cancer each year when compared to the national average.

That figure is 82 in Wirral, 95 in Knowsley, 130 in Halton and St Helens, and 69 in Sefton.

Regionally, cases of stomach cancer are expected to fall, while the effects of the national smoking ban are expected to lead to a sharper reduction in lung cancer cases than currently being witnessed.

The NHS is due to announce that £15m is to be spent on equipping University Hospital Aintree with three radiotherapy suites. Currently, radiotherapy on Merseyside is only provided at Clatterbridge on the Wirral.

And GPs are to be told to consider cancer as a possible cause of illness more often with patients exhibiting symptoms which could be as a result of a number of illnesses.

Experts last night told the Daily Post they were ready for the rise in cases – but stressed survival rates were also rising.

Pat Higgins, director of the Merseyside and Cheshire cancer network, said: “The rise can be attributed largely to the fact that people are living longer, but it is something we are preparing for.

“We are going to invest £15m in three new radiotherapy machines which will increase capacity in the region and make sure that people who are diagnosed with cancer are treated as quickly as possible.

“That will not only increase capacity, ensuring people are seen more quickly, but it also means many people in Merseyside will not have to travel so far for treatment. At the moment, everyone has to go to Clatterbridge.”

She added: “Early diagnosis is essential to ensuring patients have the best possible chance of surviving, so it is important GPs consider cancer when weighing up what may be wrong with someone.

“But it is also important people consider factors such as their diet, exercise levels and so on. Those factors make a massive difference to general health, as well as reducing the risk of cancer.”

Joan Elmer, a project worker at the Liverpool Cancer Support Centre, in Aigburth, said: “One of the things we are seeing is more younger people developing cancer.

“We are also hearing of more cases of men developing breast cancer, and more cases of prostate cancer. Many of the support groups which are held here to help people are now much bigger than they were.

“The hope is that a lot of the rise is due to early detection, and if that is the case it means that people are seeking out help. Early detection is vital.”

Public health consultant Dr Daniel Seddon said the biggest danger to cancer patients was not seeking help. He said: “Embarrassment, a lack of knowledge and the fear of getting bad news keeps too many people out of the doctor’s surgery when cancer is at its most treatable and survivable.

“There is a common assumption that cancer presents itself very dramatically but often the process is gradual with people dismissing what are actually serious symptoms as something that will go away. For example, anyone coughing blood, or passing blood when they go to the toilet, should see their doctor within a week.”

Ciaran Devane, Macmillan Cancer Support chief executive, said: “Cancer patients are being diagnosed and treated much quicker today. As a result, more people are surviving the disease.

“The challenge now is to help these growing numbers live with the long-term medical, emotional and financial effects of cancer.”

The worst day of my life was when doctors told me I had ovarian cancer >>>

davidhiggerson@dailypost.co.uk