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Up to 11,000 cancer deaths 'could be prevented' Article date: 2008-11-21 16:44:21
Cancer experts have claimed that as many as 11,000 deaths from the disease could be prevented every year in Great Britain if survival figures were increased to match those of the best-performing countries in Europe.
The research, which was presented at the launch of the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative (NAEDI), suggests that if our survival rates had been as good as the European average between 1995 and 1999, there would have been 6,500 fewer deaths per year.
Lead researcher Professor Michel Coleman said: "Sadly, we know that many cases of cancer are being diagnosed too late in Britain and this is a major reason for our poor survival rates.
"Our research suggests that if we could make further improvements in this area we could save thousands more lives each year."
The professor's comments are based on previous research which found that cancer patients tend to be diagnosed at a later stage of their disease in the UK than in the rest of Europe.
This means that their prognosis is likely to be poorer as cancer is easier to treat and cure if the disease is detected early on.
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