People from poorer
areas of the UK who are diagnosed with bowel cancer are less likely to survive five years after surgery than their more affluent
counterparts.
This is the main conclusion from new research from the West of Scotland
Cancer Surveillance Unit working in collaboration with the West of Scotland
Colorectal Cancer Managed Clinical Network, which analysed more than 4,000
medical records.
The five-year survival rate for those in the poorest socioeconomic groups
was found to be 59.5 per cent which compares less favourably with the 69.7 per
cent survival rate observed in richer patients.
Head of the National Cancer intelligence Network said that it was vitally
important that everyone in the UK has an equal cancer of surviving cancer.
"We need to take a close look at factors like late diagnosis, uptake of
screening and variations in treatment for people from different social and
economic backgrounds if we are to reduce," he added.
According to Cancer Research UK, 110 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer
every day in the UK.
© Adfero Ltd
Cancer treatment news : 19 June 2012
