Stiff upper lip 'harms cancer fight'

30 January 2013 Last updated at 02:52 GMT By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online Researchers surveyed nearly 20,000 adults in a number of countries The UK's "stiff upper lip" culture may explain why it lags behind other countries when it comes to beating cancer, say experts.

Researchers, who surveyed nearly 20,000 adults in six high-income countries, said they found embarrassment often stopped Britons visiting the doctor.

Respondents in the UK were as aware of cancer symptoms as those in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, but more reluctant to seek help, they said.

A third feared wasting a doctor's time.

One in six of the men and women aged 50-and-over surveyed in the UK was embarrassed about sharing their symptoms with a doctor, the researchers from King's College London and University College London, with help from Cancer Research UK and Ipsos Mori, found.

They said, in the British Journal of Cancer, that this may partly explain why the UK has a far lower cancer survival rate than other developed nations, despite good access to skilled medical staff and cutting-edge treatments.

Continue reading the main story

We don't know why British people feel like that. It may be that we are more stoic and have a war-time mentality”

End Quote Dr Lindsay Forbes Lead researcher The researchers surveyed people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but not Scotland.

'UK phenomenon'

Data shows that for cancer survival, the UK ranks behind many countries, including the five other nations looked at in the study.

According to estimates, the lives of more than 5,000 cancer patients could be saved each year in England alone if the country matched the best European survival rates.

Former Health Secretary Andrew Lansley pledged to achieve this target by the next general election in 2015, with the government's cancer strategy.

Lead researcher Dr Lindsay Forbes said: "This is a real UK phenomenon. UK people really stood out in our study.

"As a nation we are much more likely to say we are embarrassed about going to the doctor or we are worried that we will take up a doctor's time.

"We don't know why British people feel like that. It may be that we are more stoic and have a war-time mentality.

"We know that older people in particular can get a symptom and then wait for weeks or months before going to see their doctor."

Sara Hiom, of Cancer Research UK, said the charity "and others are working hard to understand and address these potential barriers to early presentation and encourage people to tell their doctor if they have noticed something different about their body".

"More work also needs to be done to tackle the poor awareness that cancer risk increases with age," she added.

The researchers note that Denmark also ranks relatively low for cancer survival. They suspect this could be due to delays in patients accessing timely hospital care - something which may also apply to the UK to some extent.

View the original article here

Stiff upper lip 'harms cancer fight'

30 January 2013 Last updated at 02:52 GMT By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online Researchers surveyed nearly 20,000 adults in a number of countries The UK's "stiff upper lip" culture may explain why it lags behind other countries when it comes to beating cancer, say experts.

Researchers, who surveyed nearly 20,000 adults in six high-income countries, said they found embarrassment often stopped Britons visiting the doctor.

Respondents in the UK were as aware of cancer symptoms as those in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, but more reluctant to seek help, they said.

A third feared wasting a doctor's time.

One in six of the men and women aged 50-and-over surveyed in the UK was embarrassed about sharing their symptoms with a doctor, the researchers from King's College London and University College London, with help from Cancer Research UK and Ipsos Mori, found.

They said, in the British Journal of Cancer, that this may partly explain why the UK has a far lower cancer survival rate than other developed nations, despite good access to skilled medical staff and cutting-edge treatments.

Continue reading the main story

We don't know why British people feel like that. It may be that we are more stoic and have a war-time mentality”

End Quote Dr Lindsay Forbes Lead researcher The researchers surveyed people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but not Scotland.

'UK phenomenon'

Data shows that for cancer survival, the UK ranks behind many countries, including the five other nations looked at in the study.

According to estimates, the lives of more than 5,000 cancer patients could be saved each year in England alone if the country matched the best European survival rates.

Former Health Secretary Andrew Lansley pledged to achieve this target by the next general election in 2015, with the government's cancer strategy.

Lead researcher Dr Lindsay Forbes said: "This is a real UK phenomenon. UK people really stood out in our study.

"As a nation we are much more likely to say we are embarrassed about going to the doctor or we are worried that we will take up a doctor's time.

"We don't know why British people feel like that. It may be that we are more stoic and have a war-time mentality.

"We know that older people in particular can get a symptom and then wait for weeks or months before going to see their doctor."

Sara Hiom, of Cancer Research UK, said the charity "and others are working hard to understand and address these potential barriers to early presentation and encourage people to tell their doctor if they have noticed something different about their body".

"More work also needs to be done to tackle the poor awareness that cancer risk increases with age," she added.

The researchers note that Denmark also ranks relatively low for cancer survival. They suspect this could be due to delays in patients accessing timely hospital care - something which may also apply to the UK to some extent.

View the original article here

New method to diagnose lung cancer

16 January 2013 Last updated at 06:32 GMT By Julian Fowler BBC News Julian Fowler reports for BBC Newsline

A new technique for detecting lung cancer without the need for surgery is helping patients in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh.

A thin flexible telescope, called an endobronchial ultrasound, is inserted through the patient's mouth and provides camera pictures and ultrasound images.

Samples can also be taken which can lead to faster diagnosis.

Dr Terence McManus uses the device in the South West Acute Hospital.

The 30-minute procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic and patients can normally return home the same day.

Dr McManus, a respiratory consultant, said: "It's a new technique that allows us to biopsy and diagnose conditions at an earlier stage.

"It can, in some cases, avoid the need for more invasive surgery techniques.

"Using this technique we can diagnose conditions such as cancer, inflammatory conditions, and sometimes infections as well."

Lung disease

He said it allowed doctors to "establish a diagnosis and then determine what is the most appropriate treatment for a patient as quickly as possible".

Approximately 900 people in Northern Ireland are diagnosed with lung cancer each year.

It is the second most common cancer among men and the third most common among women.

Stephen Hogan from Florencecourt, County Fermanagh, has lung disease and has undergone the procedure.

He described it as very simple and added it had no unpleasant side effects.

"The big difference for me is knowing where I'm at with the diagnosis and the referral on to the oncologist and then I know what my treatment options are. So, it actually gives you a sense of relief and it saves a lot of time.

"I'm dependent on some degree of oxygen so travelling between A and B is a bit of an issue and we're very lucky to have this brand new facility, so it's brilliant."

The South West Acute Hospital, which opened its doors six months ago, is the first in Northern Ireland to offer this service.

Joe Lusby, deputy chief executive of the Western Health Trust, said it demonstrated how the latest technology is benefiting patients in the new state-of-the-art hospital.

"Anything that provides a faster and more accurate diagnosis of lung disease is bound to be good for the patient," he said.

"This hospital is built for the next 60 years at least so what we were doing is not just transferring services across from the former Erne Hospital.

"We were determined to add services that were appropriate to provide locally so that people don't have to travel great distances to access these services."

About 90% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking cigarettes and Dr McManus has also seen patients getting the disease at a younger age.

He said: "It can affect any age. Smoking is certainly the biggest risk factor so we would always emphasise the importance of stopping smoking as soon as possible, it's never too late to stop smoking."

View the original article here