|  |  |  | | | | Leukaemia Research response to the Cancer Reform Strategy | | | | |
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Release Date: 04 December 2007
As the number of people surviving all forms of cancer increases, the government has published a cancer strategy document (3rd December 2007). Leukaemia Research has published a response to this document.
LEUKAEMIA RESEARCH RESPONSE - SUMMARY
As the number of people surviving all forms of cancer increases, the government has published a cancer strategy document (3rd December 2007). The new NHS strategy will include ways to help patients live with cancer, such as counselling, advice on how to get back to work and regular health checks to avoid a recurrence.
Leukaemia Research contributed to this report and our clinical information officer Ken Campbell has highlighted those sections of the new guidelines, which are relevant to those affected by leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma or a related condition.
LEUKAEMIA RESEARCH RESPONSE - DETAIL
Leukaemia Research welcomes the new Cancer Reform Strategy (CRS) prepared by a Department of Health team under the guidance of Professor Mike Richards, the National Cancer Director.
The CRS addresses all forms of cancer but some elements of it are particularly relevant for patients with blood cancers and their carers.
National Centre for Healthcare and Clinical Excellence (NICE) procedures are to be streamlined to reduce delays between licensing of new drugs and their assessment by NICE, and to reduce further the "postcode lottery" on drugs availability.
The commitment to increase availability of radiotherapy will particularly benefit patients with lymphoma and some patients with myeloma or related conditions.
The introduction of new drugs such as Glivec for chronic myeloid leukaemia means that many more patients are likely to be long-term survivors "living with" their disease. There is an important proposal to address the needs of all survivors, those who are living with a diagnosis and those who are cured but dealing with the long-term effects of treatment.
Prevention is likely to have lesser impact on blood cancers than for many solid tumours. For the overwhelming majority of patients with blood cancer, there is no obvious initiating factor that could be the basis of a preventative campaign. The main scope for prevention would be in reducing the risk of secondary blood cancers, which may affect patients treated for blood cancer or for other forms of cancer.
There is a consensus amongst experts that there is no case for a screening programme for blood cancers - it is recognized that the increasing frequency of "well person" check-ups may lead to more chance diagnoses of early blood cancers. Systems need to be in place to ensure the significance of abnormal findings is recognized and followed-up. The Haematological Malignancies Diagnostic Service (HMDS) at Leeds has been included in the CRS as a "model of excellence" for effective, patient-centred diagnosis.
[Leukaemia Research has invested over £ 0.5 million in research projects in HMDS in the past five years. This is to continually improve and refine the accuracy of diagnostic and prognostic markers for leukaemia and lymphoma and to apply this to better patient management and follow up.]
A campaign to improve awareness of early signs and symptoms among general practitioners would be of greatest importance for lymphoma and myeloma patients. Leukaemia does not start at a single site and spread, unlike solid tumours, so unless diagnosis is very delayed it is unlikely to affect outcomes.
The results of treatment for lymphoma and myeloma may be affected by stage at diagnosis - stage may also influence treatment intensity and hence, side effects.
In the case of children and young adults, lymphoma is one of the cancer types most prone to delays in diagnosis.
Although they make up only 10% of all cancers, blood cancers require more "bed days" than any other single type of cancer. This is partly because they often require complicated chemotherapy regimens, which need to be given in hospital.
There are more unplanned (emergency) bed days for blood cancers than any other form; this may be related to infections in this group.
There is a predicted increase in the incidence of certain blood cancers - there will be more cases, these will make up a greater percentage of the cancer total and the incidence (cases/100,000) in the population will rise. Improvements in treatment mean that patients with blood cancers will live longer, so prevalence (number of people/100,000 living with a blood cancer) will also increase.
It is critically important that planners recognize the increased need for inpatient facilities for blood cancer patients.
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For more information about the work of Leukaemia Research or to find out more, please call 020 7405 0101
Leukaemia Research Press Office can be contacted on 020 7269 9019
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