World Cancer Day – A day of reflection, and hope

Jack Nagy

Senior Account Manager

February 4th is World Cancer Day, and marks a day of reflection for the tens of millions of lives world over that have been impacted by the terrible disease. In the UK, around 167,000 people die with cancer each year, with an estimated 10 million globally, with many more than that being impacted by the disease through its impact on loved ones. For me, the day evokes memories of both my father, who passed away in 2018 with melanoma, as well as my grandad, who passed away in 2019 with bowel cancer.

The NHS faces huge challenges for the NHS, with NHS England failing to hit two of the three targets (Faster Diagnosis Standard, met; 62-day referral treatment standard, and 31-day decision to treat standard, missed) using the most recent data. These statistics show how stark the challenges facing NHS cancer services are, with estimates showing that a 4-week delay to cancer surgery can lead to a 6-8% increase in mortality.

The previous government promised a National Cancer Plan for England to improve these outcomes for patients, and the Department of Health and Social Care last week announced a mandate for NHS England that sets ambitions of further improvement in these standards and on waiting times. Perhaps most critically and importantly, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has committed to publishing a National Cancer Plan for England later this year after the publication of the NHS 10-Year Plan.

To mark World Cancer Day, and in anticipation of the NHS 10 Year Plan and a National Cancer Plan, it is only appropriate to highlight some key areas that the Government should look to explore; as it looks towards the future of cancer care in the NHS.

 

Core Priorities for a National Cancer Plan

 

  1. Financial Backing for NICE Approved Therapies

The upcoming National Cancer Plan must be transformational for the funding challenges that currently plague cancer care cross the NHS. For example, whilst NICE approved drugs translate into mandatory funding, NICE approved therapies (such as selective internal radiation therapy or cryoablation) do not automatically translate into funding. As such, patients do not have access to treatment options that should be available to them, though other challenges relating to commissioning practices and incentives exacerbate the funding challenges. Moreover, successful NHS England pilots- such as on diagnostics or on treatment- should upon their competition result in funding, yet this is not currently the case. Actioning these in the Cancer Plan would help patients and healthcare professionals deliver the care that is both needed and required.

 

  1. Charting the Path Towards Personalised Cancer Therapies

As research into new cancer treatment evolves, the more it moves towards personalised therapies which can promote a particular immune response to an individual’s particular cancer. The work of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and the Cancer Vaccine Launchpad attest to the promise of these personalised therapies in transforming the treatment of cancer.

However, their advent also prompts the question of whether the NHS is prepared for their timely adoption and how it will ensure equitable access to these cutting-edge treatments. As cancer treatments become more personalised, there is a risk that their adoption is limited under current NICE cost-effectiveness thresholds. This risks a world where personalised treatments are available to patients in other parts of the world, but where the NHS lags behind. A review of NICE QALY metrics in light of personalised cancer therapies is vital, if the provision of cancer care in the NHS is to be future proofed.

 

  1. Realising equitable access to innovative new treatments

Beyond their initial adoption, there is also a question of how the NHS will promote equitable access to innovative new therapies. The Government’s Cancer Plan must provide clear direction for how clinical trials, pilot sites, and specialist centres, will be scaled to provide equal access to NHS patients. In the absence of a clear plan for how patients will be supported financially to travel for specialist treatment (for example), these innovative therapies will continue to be inaccessible to patients who are unable to travel or take extended periods of time off work.

There is both hope and expectation that what has been set out by government can be realised to improve cancer care across England. As 2025 looks to be a significant year for Government ambition in this crucial area, clear targets, operational priorities and accountability will be a more important than ever on delivering tangible change for patients. It remains to be seen whether the talk of action by the government will meet the huge challenges that it faces.

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