UK and Ireland have lowest ovarian cancer survival rate in Europe

Patients with ovarian cancer are more likely to die in the UK and Ireland than anywhere else in Europe.

 

According to research conducted by The Lancet Oncology, just 31% of women with the disease survived for five years compared to the 33.4% in poorer countries like Bulgaria and Lithuania.  

 

The Eurocare-5 study also compared survival rates for stomach, colon, lung, melanoma skin, breast, ovarian, prostate, kidney and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and found that UK patients had lower than average survival rates for nine out of the 10 common cancers.

 

However, the UK and Ireland were better than average for surviving melanoma. Macmillan Cancer Support boss Ciaran Devane says: “This is truly depressing. One in two of us will get cancer so this is a big deal and has to be a wake-up call for the NHS.”

 

Early diagnoses is vital when treating cancer and delays in treatment is being blamed for the poor survival rate.

 

Mark Flanagan, Beating Bowel Cancer’s chief executive, agrees: “Too many people are still being diagnosed as an emergency – when the disease tends to be more advance and outcomes poorer. A mixture of embarrassment, lack of awareness and misdiagnosis mean people don’ get the help they need until it’s too late.”