How to cut bowel cancer deaths by 60%: Bowel Cancer UK

The Government could cut deaths from bowel cancer by 60% by 2025 if it followed the recommendations in a new report launched today by Bowel Cancer UK. Bowel Cancer UK's ambition is also for an additional 2,500 people with bowel cancer per year living for at least five years after diagnosis by 2025. The report also reveals that more than one in five patients weren’t treated with respect and dignity by doctors and nurses .

Bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer, and the overall five-year survival rate of those diagnosed is just over 50% 2. In its report, 2025 Challenge: Saving and Improving Lives, Bowel Cancer UK calls on the Government to examine its targets in reducing mortality, improving patient experience and increasing survival to dramatically improve outcomes in all three areas by 2025.

The report reveals that:
Deaths from bowel cancer could be cut by 60% by 2025 – from 18 in 100,000 to 7 in 100,000 – if realistic goals were followed.
Almost one in four patients do not understand doctors’ explanations about their disease, and one in five say that they are not treated with dignity and respect 3.
20% of patients say they have received conflicting information about their condition 4.
Currently, the survival rate of patients with bowel cancer is just over 50%.

Bowel Cancer UK’s ambition is to increase the proportion of people with bowel cancer diagnosed at an early stage, and improve the survival rate of people diagnosed with advanced disease. Achieving these goals would save an additional 2,500 more lives per year by 2025.

Bowel Cancer UK is calling on the Government to improve all three aspects of cancer care by:
Encouraging greater uptake of screening to ensure earlier diagnosis. Uptake is only just over 50% at the moment 5.
Improving diagnostic capacity and reducing waiting times to cope with growing demand.
Detecting and diagnosing bowel cancer at an earlier stage. Currently only 9% of patients in the UK are detected at the very earliest stage of the disease 6.
Ensuring access to and support in decision making about the best treatments for advanced cancer regardless of where they live.
Making sure patients receive the best care by ensuring that hospital, community and social care services are joined up.
Improving the quality and consistency of written information given to patients with bowel cancer – currently one in three patients receive no written information.

Deborah Alsina, CEO, Bowel Cancer UK said: “We want to dramatically improve outcomes for people affected by bowel cancer, minimising the disease’s impact and helping people lead longer, healthier and happier lives.”

“We have a duty to save more lives and the proposals outlined in this report should be the Government’s absolute minimum goal.

“We look forward to working with the government, NHS and other charities to help save more lives from the UK’s second biggest cancer killer.”