News digest – bladder cancer waiting times, crowdfunding cancer treatment and a cervical screening rebrand

Some bladder cancer patients wait 5 months for treatment

A “loophole” in NHS cancer waiting time guidance means some patients with bladder cancer are having to wait almost 5 months for treatment, reports the Guardian. The NHS guidelines say people shouldn’t be waiting any longer than 62 days.

£20m a year spent on crowdfunding for cancer treatments

The Victoria Derbyshire programme says more than £20m a year is now being raised on crowdfunding sites for cancer treatment not available on the NHS. Skip to 5 minutes in to hear the debate or read this BBC report for more.

Cancer death rates could be higher in people with history of mental health problems

The Telegraph reports that cancer patients who’ve had mental health problems are less likely to survive their cancer. This comes from a Canadian study showing that cancer death rates were higher among people who had emergency psychiatric help before their cancer diagnosis. This British Journal of Cancer press release has more info.

Brexit may cause diagnosis delays

The Royal College of Radiologists says Brexit is likely to cause cancer test delays, reports the BBC. This is because some drugs used to diagnose cancer come from countries still in the EU and cannot be easily stockpiled, meaning potential disruption to deliveries could lead to delays.

Plans for new Northern Irish cancer strategy

Cancer charities and health officials are planning for a new cancer strategy for Northern Ireland. According to the BBC, it will look at things like ways to prevent cancer and diagnose it quicker.

Public satisfaction with NHS hits new low

Public satisfaction with NHS services is the lowest in 11 years, says the Telegraph. Waiting times to get hospital and GP appointments were mostly behind the trend.

Leukaemia drug gets initial ‘no’ for NHS in England

PharmaTimes reports that patients living with a specific type of leukaemia will not have access to a new treatment. This is after it failed to win provisional recommendation for use on the NHS in England. We also covered this one.

Research in mice suggests why cancer spreads to the liver

We covered new cancer biology research suggesting a possible explanation for why cancers commonly spread to the liver. US scientists say cells in the livers of mice create an environment cancer cells might need to settle and grow there.

Some smokers think vaping is just as harmful as smoking

According to the Sun, a quarter of smokers don’t want to try e-cigarettes because they incorrectly think they’re twice as dangerous as smoking.

And finally

The government has launched its first cervical screening advertising campaign in England, reports the BBC. The numbers of people taking part in cervical screening have hit a 20-year low. And the campaign – led by Public Health England – aims to break down barriers to people attending screening.

Gabi