Suffolk charity calls for efforts to tackle inequality in cancer treatment
New research shows people from minority ethnic backgrounds face delays to cancer diagnosis which are twice as long as white people
A Suffolk charity's calling for more to be done to tackle inequality in cancer treatment.
It's as a new report highlights how low awareness of cancer symptoms and challenges accessing services is drastically impacting the cancer care and treatment of thousands of people from minority ethnic backgrounds.
The data suggests people from Minority Ethnic Backgrounds face averages of a year’s delay between first noticing symptoms and receiving a diagnosis of cancer - more than twice as long as those from white backgrounds.
Imani Sorhaindo is from the Caribbean and African Community Health Support Forum in Ipswich - and explains what might be behind this inequality: "Some of it's things like language barriers and a lack of outreach, making sure the right people are spreading the right message in the right communities....
"We sometimes hear horror stories about how the BME community in Ipswich feel when they're talking to their GPs or going for tests - they often don't feel like they're being listened to."
She wants more done to tackle the inequality: "So we can save lives and make sure the public's money is being shared and used equitably, for fairness and justice for all... not just for some."
"People need to get the support and treatment that's right for them"
The research shows people from minority ethnic backgrounds face delays to cancer diagnosis which are twice as long as white people - and just four-percent say they're able to make time for an appointment around work: "People do have to take ownership of their health, but genuinely, if people are more deprived, we shouldn't be expecting them to have to put their jobs at risk to have to fit into an inflexible healthcare system."
Imani explained what she'd like to see done to reduce inequality in this area: "Help people get informed so they can get early tests.
"Then whilst on a treatment journey, people should get adequate support based on their cultural needs, their gender needs, whatever protected characteristic they have.
"People need to get the support and treatment that's right for them."
Cancer Equals
To tackle the issues a new campaign, called Cancer Equals, has been launched to understand and help address the many possible reasons for inequalities in Britons’ experiences of cancer.
As part of the campaign, a Cancer Equals Coalition of patient advocates, experts and policymakers will be created to source solutions to the issue of cancer inequalities.
It's hoped this will help see an effective solution implemented in the real world.
What does the government say?
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “No one living with the impacts of cancer should experience difficulties in accessing the vital healthcare they need.
"Although the NHS has seen and treated record numbers of cancer patients over the past two years, with survival rates improving across almost all types of cancer, there is work to be done to improve rates across all ethnic groups.
“We want to make our healthcare system faster, simpler and fairer and we have invested £2.3 billion into speeding up diagnosis for cancer, launching 155 Community Diagnostic Centres across England to help us achieve our goal of catching 75% of all cancers at stage 1 or 2 by 2028. Our forthcoming Major Conditions Strategy will further improve cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment for all.”
The research in more detail
People from minority ethnic groups are more likely to attribute their symptoms to other conditions (51% vs 31%) and not take their symptoms seriously (34% vs 21%), compared to white individuals, according to the report by Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) in partnership with Shine Cancer Support.
They also have difficulty seeing a GP compared to white individuals, both in terms of getting an appointment (25% vs 16%) — with reasons including because of long wait times and few slots being available — and in being able to make time for it due to work (18% vs 4%).
People with a weaker understanding of cancer prior to diagnosis were significantly more likely to need 2–3 appointments before referral, compared to those with a good understanding of cancer before diagnosis (30% vs 15%).
People of lower socio-economic status were more likely to deal with health issues on their own and not bother a doctor (40% vs 32%).