All.Can Patient Survey

24 During the whole of your cancer care and treatment, where do you feel there was most inefficiency? (Respondents were asked to select one option only) • 26% my initial diagnosis • 21% dealing with the ongoing side effects • 14% getting the right treatment for my cancer • 12% dealing with the psychological impacts • 10% dealing with the financial implications • 5% the opportunity to take part in clinical trials • 2% access to patient support groups • 10% other * * The most frequently reported ‘other’ sources of inefficiency included coordination between different elements of the healthcare system (e.g. general practice, social services and hospital), inefficiency around organising appointments, general delays, follow-up care, and getting the right information and communication. For cancers detected outside of a screening programme, the speed of diagnosis had a major impact on respondents’ experience across the entire care pathway. ‘I lost valuable time having to wait three months to secure an appointment with the specialist after I noticed symptoms.’ Respondent from Belgium Why it matters For many cancers, early diagnosis can improve survival 17 – for example, a breast cancer study showed that patients who experienced short delays in diagnosis (under 3 months) had 7% better overall survival compared with those who had longer delays (3–6 months). 18 19 Early diagnosis is associated with reduced treatment costs – the cost of treating colon, rectal, breast, ovarian and lung cancer at stage IV has been reported as 2–3 times the cost of treating these cancers at stage I. 20 1 | Swift, accurate and appropriately delivered diagnosis