September 18, 2003
Don't Ask, Don't Treat
Bowel cancer kills 16,000 people each year in the UK. It is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in this country. By a simple screening of a faecal occult blood sample and a sigmoidoscopy, 5,000 lives could be saved.
The NHS won't have it. It does not want the screening. Why? Because it doesn't know what to do with the additional patients it would identify. It would increase the waiting lists, which would lead to more of the usual horror stories in the newspapers. The NHS doesn't need any more bad press. It's worth the loss of 5,000 lives a year to avoid it.
According to the new chief executive of Cancer Research UK, there is a similar problem with prostate cancer screening. The blood test only costs £30, but more test means more positive results, and then what are they supposed to do? Treat all these people?
Posted by david at September 18, 2003 12:48 AM | TrackBack