Rich people are more likely to survive cancer, new study claims

Eight out of 10 long-term cancer survivors come from affluent areas of the country

WEALTHY cancer patients are more likely to survive than sufferers from poor regions, a study has found.

 

Eight out of 10 long-term survivors are from affluent areas, the survey claimed. 

Another study found that a quarter of patients diagnosed with cancer after going to A&E in London will have died within two months. 

The research by Macmillan and Public Health England disclosed that people who survive for 10 to 20 years or more after diagnosis are more likely to live in richer regions. 

In England, people with cervical, liver or lung cancers were almost three times as likely to come from the poorest areas.

 



Heartbreakingly, a cure for cancer still only exists as a concept



Those with head and neck, Hodgkin lymphoma or stomach cancers were also twice as likely to be from the most deprived group. 

People with cancer living in deprived areas still face health inequalities

Julia Verne, head of clinical epidemiology at Public Health England 

In the other study, experts at London Cancer examined the survival of nearly 1,000 patients diagnosed at 12 A&E departments across the capital during 2013. 

They found that average survival was less than six months, with 36 per cent of patients surviving more than a year. 

Experts said one of the reasons the London figures were so startling was because emergency patients tended to have advanced cancers. 

Both studies will be presented at the National Cancer Research Institute conference in Liverpool today. 



Heartbreakingly, a cure for cancer still only exists as a concept

Julia Verne, head of clinical epidemiology at Public Health England, said: “People with cancer living in deprived areas still face health inequalities. Taking action on preventable risk factors, such as smoking, obesity and alcohol – all associated with deprivation – is crucial in reducing the growth of cancer.” 

Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said ensuring patients had an early diagnosis was a top priority. 

“Too many people are still diagnosed in A&E,” he said. 

“That must change if we’re serious about having the best cancer survival in the world.”