HEALTH campaigners have warned cancer “cannot become the forgotten C”, after a report showed patients in more deprived areas are being diagnosed at a later stage with some forms of the disease.
The Cancer Incidence in Scotland paper said cases of cervical cancer are twice as high in women in the most deprived parts of the country when compared to the least deprived.
Women from poorer areas are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage cervical cancer when the disease has spread to other parts of the body. The report said: “Among the commonest cancers in Scotland, there was convincing evidence that socioeconomic deprivation increased the likelihood of being diagnosed with more advanced cancers of the bowel, cervix, female breast, head and neck, and prostate.
“For these cancers, patients were more likely to have cancers that had spread to other parts of the body (metastatic disease – stage four) in the most deprived groups compared to the least deprived groups.”
With cancer screening services having been on hold during the coronavirus crisis, Macmillan Cancer Support raised. Janice Preston, the charity’s head of services in Scotland, said: “We’re concerned the impact of Covid-19 will make this already worrying situation much worse.
READ MORE: Humza Yousaf issues warning on quarantine risk to travellers
She added: “There has been huge disruption in cancer testing and significant reductions in people contacting their GPs with potential cancer symptoms. We’re very concerned this will have a disproportionate impact on people living in deprived communities.
“Cancer cannot become the forgotten C. The Scottish Government must get cancer services back up and running as soon as possible, with a renewed focus on tackling the impact of deprivation on late diagnosis.”
The report, published by Public Health Scotland, said there are “several reasons” for people in more deprived areas being diagnosed later – noting a lower take-up rate for breast, bowel and cervical cancer screening in such areas.
Looking at breast cancer, the report said women from more deprived areas are more likely to be diagnosed with the disease at stage four when it has spread to other parts of the body.
Head and neck cancers are also more likely to be diagnosed at the most advanced stage. In cases of prostate cancer, it said men living in less deprived areas were more likely to be diagnosed at an early stage.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here