New research presented at the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) cancer conference in Liverpool, England has revealed a shocking statistic. According to the study, a quarter of people diagnosed with cancer after going to A&E (hospital accident and emergency departments) in London die within two months, reports The Guardian.
The alarming figures were from London Cancer, which gathered data from hospitals in northeast and central London and west Essex. The study utilized data from almost 1,000 patients diagnosed at 12 A&E departments in the area during 2013.
Experts consulted in the study pointed out that people diagnosed in an emergency room tend to have cancer that has already spread around the body, thereby making the disease harder to treat, according to The Huffington Post.
Professor Kathy Pritchard-Jones, the author of the study, believes that the grim results of the research emphasize that early diagnosis matters significantly in the battle against cancer.
"These shocking figures hammer home what we already know to be true: early diagnosis can make a huge difference in your chances of surviving cancer. "Around a quarter of all cancer cases are being diagnosed following presentation in A&E and the vast majority of these are already at a late stage, when treatment options are limited and survival is poorer," she said.
Professor Charles Swanton, chair of the NCRI conference, said that the somber results of the study are not confined to the capital city. Rather, it is a nationwide problem that must be dealt with very seriously.
"Emergency presentation is a challenge across the country - not just in London - and is a complex problem that may reflect a myriad of different factors. Initiatives driving scientific, medical and societal advances in early diagnosis will be central for us to achieve world-class cancer survival in the UK," he said.
For more health news, click here.
