Published 21 July 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b2927
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b2927

Letters

Mind the gap

Regional inequalities and cancer

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Hawkes highlights the health impact of the widening deprivation gap and the stark regional differences in income.1 Deprivation is associated with increased cancer incidence and worse outcomes.2 In lung cancer, deprivation predicts increased incidence and a reduced likelihood of receiving any treatment.3

In the deprived regions of Yorkshire and Humber and the north east only 25-28% of patients with cancer received radiotherapy.4 By contrast, in the three regions of the south east access to radiotherapy was 49% and consistent with international norms. The reduced access to radiotherapy across English regions was strongly correlated (r=–0.820) with increasing deprivation.4

The links between deprivation and reduced cancer survival are complex.2 However, patients with lung cancer whose first hospital attendance was at a radiotherapy centre were more likely to receive active treatment, with evidence of longer survival.3 This suggests that cancer pathways and barriers to specialist care are critical.3 5

Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b2927

Michael V Williams, consultant clinical oncologist1

1 Oncology Centre, Box 193, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge University Hospital NHS Trust, Cambridge CB2 0QQ

michael.williams@addenbrookes.nhs.uk

. . . [Full text of this article]


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Mind the gap
Nigel Hawkes
BMJ 2009 338: b2604. [Extract] [Full Text]

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