Scots cancer diagnosis down 40%

A leading cancer charity is telling MFR they are seriously concerned about the number of people coming forward with symptoms.

New figures show diagnosis was down 40% between March and June compared to last year. The statistics from Public Health Scotland also estimate that around 4,000 Scots could unknowingly be living with undiagnosed cancer.

Between March and June 2020, numbers fell by about 40% of those in 2019. In total, therefore, between January and the end of June 2020, the overall number of patients diagnosed was down by 19% on 2019 figures in the same period.

Macmillan’s head of policy in Scotland, Kate Seymour, said: “These figures are extremely worrying. A 40% drop in diagnoses is staggering.

“Delays in diagnoses can lead to unnecessary deaths, as well as people facing more serious treatments that leave them with long term health issues.

“The Scottish Government must ensure the cancer care system has the resources to diagnose and treat thousands of additional people, many of whom may have more advanced cancers than would normally be expected due to the delays.

“The government must also launch a widespread public awareness campaign urging anyone with cancer symptoms to contact their GP. It’s vital everyone understands GPs are still open.”

Professor David Morrison, Director of the Scottish Cancer Registry at Public Health Scotland said:

"Understanding the impact of the pandemic on health and healthcare services is a crucial part of our efforts to respond to and recover from it. As part of the Scottish Cancer Registry’s response we wanted to help understand how cancer diagnoses and cancer services have been affected.

"The reduction in cancer diagnoses this year gives us a sense of the scale of the impact of COVID-19 on all stages of the journey from first seeking help to recovering from treatment.

"If you’re worried you might have cancer – see your GP and get checked out. It’s probably not cancer - but if it is, the sooner you’re diagnosed, the better your chances of successful treatment."

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