Institutional development · Research, innovation and assessment · United Kingdom
Surrey-led study of 86,000 breast cancer patients finds longer waits for Black patients
A University of Surrey-led analysis of UK breast cancer care reports that Black patients, and those with learning disabilities, experience longer delays at several points in their treatment journey.
Why it matters: Black patients and those with learning disabilities are the groups the Surrey-led study identifies as waiting longer for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.
The University of Surrey said the study it led, which covered over 86,000 patients and appears in the journal Breast Cancer Research, is thought to be the UK's first to track delays along the entire breast cancer pathway.
According to the university, Black patients' odds of diagnosis via routine screening were 29 per cent lower than those of White patients, while their odds of diagnosis through A&E or as an emergency were 37 per cent higher.
The university reported that, for patients with a learning disability, the average wait for diagnosis after reporting a symptom to a GP was 18 per cent longer, and a quarter waited at least 29 days, 10 days more than the wider population.
The university said both groups also faced longer waits to begin treatment after diagnosis, with Black patients starting roughly five days later on average than White patients.
Editor’s view
Scott James, Research and Innovation Editor
For Black patients, the university stresses that a greater likelihood of emergency diagnosis matters because cancers detected this way are typically more advanced and carry poorer survival prospects.
