Cancer survival rates in West Suffolk are best in the region

Cancer survival rates in West Suffolk are the best in the region and above the national average, latest figures have revealed.

The Public Health England statistics show the one-year survival rate for patients in West Suffolk diagnosed with cancer was 74.9 per cent in 2017 - higher than any other area in the east and above the national average of 73.3 per cent.

The data shows the survival rate in West Suffolk has been increasing every year since 2002 when it was 65.1 per cent.

In the Ipswich and East Suffolk area, the figure has risen from 65.4 per cent in 2002 to 71.9 per cent in 2017. For North East Essex, the rate has gone up from 63.8 to 72.8 per cent.

Dr Christopher Scrase, clinical lead for cancer for the area’s integrated care system and a Macmillan consultant clinical oncologist at Ipswich Hospital, said the diagnosis and treatment of cancer is ‘complex and there are no easy answers on why survival rates differ’.

“We do know that cancer survival is generally lower among people from more deprived areas and this is undoubtedly a factor to explain some of the variation across our system,” he said.

“We know that a positive outcome is best achieved for the patient if they get a cancer diagnosis at an earlier stage.”

Dr Scrase encouraged patients who have any concerning symptoms to make an appointment with their GP and for people to take up screening opportunities available through national programmes.

He said: “Achieving these cancer survival rates and the further improvements we expect is through collaboration and partnership between commissioners, hospitals, GPs and community health staff who all have an important role in cancer care.

“Our ICS cancer strategy has set out our wider ambitions of which improved survival is one strand of the improvements we want to bring for our population.”

Richard Watson, deputy chief executive of the clinical commissioning groups representing the areas, said that despite the good work ‘there is still a lot more to be done so we can achieve even higher survival rates and a greater level of consistency’.

“The key to achieving this will be greater levels of partnership working through the integrated care system,” he added.