A specialist Midlands’ health charity has supported a shocking report that revealed a postcode lottery of cancer survival – and is calling for more targeted action to make sure the poorest people in society get the treatment they need.
The Get A-Head Charitable Trust supports people with head and neck conditions, particularly cancer, across the UK, and has called for action in the wake of a major report by Cancer Research UK that found people in the country’s most deprived areas are 60 per cent more likely to die from cancer than those in wealthier areas.
Get A-Head director Danni Heath said: “We welcome this report from Cancer Research and the strategy they have developed to tackle the problem.
“There are many reasons why these inequalities exist, but they are all preventable – we all need to work together and get behind a unified strategy for action, but we also need government action to get to the root causes of these inequalities.
“We at Get A-Head are keen to fund work in this area and even out the inequalities that exist, particularly for people with head and neck cancers.”
The Cancer Research report found that cancer death rates are nearly 60 per cent higher in the most deprived areas of the UK compared with the least deprived, and that about 28,400 cancer deaths each year are linked to socioeconomic inequality – that is about 78 unnecessary deaths each day, which is more than three in 20 of all deaths from cancer.
Part of the reason for the difference is that two major causes of cancer – smoking and excess weight – are both more prevalent in deprived areas, where lack of access to outdoor space and affordable healthy food can make living well difficult.
But the report also found that there were big differences in the healthcare available in deprived areas compared to those better off. This means that people in poorer areas are less likely to take up screening, more likely to be diagnosed late – resulting in an increased likelihood that treatments will be less effective.
Danni said: “It is easy to understand why people who are already struggling financially might decide to skip a screening appointment if taking time off work for that appointment means they will lose money.
“They might also put off going to a doctor with symptoms for the same reason, but it is far better to get any issues sorted quickly and before treatment becomes more difficult, if not too late.
“There are opportunities to tackle inequalities through better information and early diagnosis, which is why we are co-funding a project in Tower Hamlets to raise greater awareness of head and neck cancers.
“We are also funding a feasibility study to see whether a full audit of head and neck cancer diagnoses and services across the country can help us improve outcomes for all patients, regardless of their socioeconomic status or where they live.
“And, we have a continued focus on symptom awareness campaigns, health information and the importance of early diagnosis.”
Danni added: “Any cancer diagnosis is tough, but your chances of surviving that diagnosis and going on to live a full and healthy life after cancer shouldn’t come down to a postcode lottery of care and the state of your bank balance.”
Get A-Head has raised more than £10 million since it was founded in Birmingham in 1994. It funds vital research into the causes and treatments of head and neck conditions, pays for life-changing equipment which is not available on the NHS, supports the cost of continuing education for healthcare professionals and pays for complementary therapies to soften the effects of treatment for patients.
