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Women face a postcode lottery of waiting times when seeking treatment for aggressive forms of breast cancer, according to new research.
One in five women in some regions faces a wait of more than three months to receive potentially life-saving chemotherapy treatment for triple-negative breast cancer. This form accounts for approximately 15 percent of all breast cancer diagnoses.
Women in the Midlands face an average wait of 50 days, compared to 38 days in the North West.
Because triple negative breast cancer is aggressive, it needs immediate treatment and surgery combined with chemotherapy is the standard treatment.
“Given the evidence of an increased risk of death as the duration of chemotherapy increases, the reasons for regional disparities require further investigation,” said Dr. Pinky Chambers of University College London, one of the research teams whose investigations show breast cancer research and treatment.
One in five women had to wait more than three months in some areas to receive potentially life-saving chemotherapy treatment. (file photo)
Previous studies have shown that the time between surgery and chemotherapy is important. (file photo)
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, accounting for 25 percent of all new cancer diagnoses in women.
Previous studies have shown that the time between surgery and chemotherapy is important: a longer time is associated with worse survival, and early treatment prolongs disease-free time.
Researchers from University College London, University Hospitals Nottingham, Christie NHS Trust and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals analyzed data on TNBC patients in different areas of England to see if there were differences in waiting times. The data covered a two-year period from 2014 to 2015 and included information on the time between surgery and chemotherapy for more than 1,000 women with TNBC.
The longest average time between surgery and chemotherapy was recorded in the Midlands, 50 days, followed by the South East and South West, 49 days, the East of England, 47 days, the North East and Yorkshire, 45 days, London, 43 days. and the northwest. .
London and the North West had the highest percentage of patients receiving chemotherapy within 30 days of surgery – 33 per cent compared to less than 20 per cent in the Midlands.
The researchers classified delayed treatment as a wait of more than 90 days or three months.
Patients in the East, Midlands and South West regions of England had the longest treatment times, with 22 per cent taking more than three months to start chemotherapy.
Symptoms of breast cancer include lumps and swelling, dimpling of the skin, discoloration, discharge, and a rash or crusting around the breast.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, accounting for 25 percent of all new cancer diagnoses in women. (file photo)
Midland had the lowest number of patients starting treatment within 20 days of surgery.
It is not clear why there is a difference.
“Disparities between regions warrant further research to identify potential gaps in service delivery leading to delays at specific cancer treatment centers and to fully understand where and why delays occur,” Dr. Chambers said.
‘Significant associations of duration beyond 90 days with worse survival outcomes have been reported.
‘Research suggests that early administration of chemotherapy prolongs disease-free time. Minimizing the duration is important to achieve optimal results, as this duration is related to survival.’
