Thousands of cancer patients are struggling to access potentially lifesaving targeted treatment due to NHS delays in tests that analyse their tumours.
A report by Macmillan Cancer Support and AstraZeneca found that long turnaround times for lab tests are leaving patients and doctors in the dark about the best treatment options.
The study looked at biomarker testing, which involves analysing blood or tumour samples to identify hormones or genetic mutations that provide clues to what is driving the cancer.
More than half of cancer patients had to wait longer than a month for their results, and 16 per cent said they did not receive biomarker tests.
Experts said that delays could be a matter of life or death as a “golden age” arrives of precision cancer drugs tailored to each individual based on the results of their biomarker tests.
Patients cannot start such treatment until they have had the tests to determine what drugs are most suitable. For example, the type of breast cancer treatment depends on whether biomarker tests show the tumour is “hormone positive” or has certain genetic mutations.
The study, published in the journal Future Oncology, involved surveys of cancer patients and doctors and nurses.
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Researchers found that delays in biomarker testing were commonplace, due to workforce shortages and slow technology, with the result that it often takes longer than the target of two to three weeks to get results.
Some 85 per cent of doctors said that barriers to biomarker testing affected their ability to prescribe treatments, and 45 per cent said they had to start treatments without getting results.
Slow test turnarounds are contributing to wider delays. The latest NHS data shows that one in three NHS cancer patients have to wait longer than the 62-day target between referral and starting treatment.
Dany Bell, from Macmillan Cancer Support, the lead author, explained that biomarker testing “gives you a much more precise diagnosis, and enables you to make more informed treatment decisions”.
She said: “For some cancers, waiting a couple of weeks is not a risk. But, in rarer cancers, there are less targeted treatments and less biomarkers, and it is life or death. If there’s a delay, then that could mean the difference in somebody’s cancer progressing.”
Labour has made a commitment that every NHS cancer patient should get comprehensive genomic analysis and molecular profiling to guide precision treatment. Bell said this would be possible only with greater training of nurses in cancer testing, as well as investment in the workforce, laboratories and technology.
Anna Arent, head of oncology at AstraZeneca UK, said: “We are in a golden age of cancer research, driven by an advanced understanding of the biomarkers of disease. Biomarker testing, including genomic sequencing, is transforming patient care today and it is, rightly, a key pillar of the NHS ten-year plan. We support government ambitions to offer every cancer patient comprehensive molecular profiling. But it’s clear that more must be done to ensure there is the right capacity and capabilities within the system to deliver this ambition.”
Claire Taylor of Macmillan Cancer Support
Claire Taylor, chief nursing officer at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Biomarker testing is an exciting advancement in cancer care but our new research highlights unacceptable inequities in accessing these tests.
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“We know biomarker testing is a vital step in unlocking potentially life-saving treatments for people with cancer, yet it is not currently reaching everyone who needs it. Far too many people are facing barriers to accessing the best possible treatment the UK has to offer and often this can be made worse simply because of who you are or where you live.
“But through this research, we’re working to change the narrative. We’re facilitating better access to education and training for healthcare professionals to ensure that every patient gets the information they need to make informed, personalised decisions about their treatment. We’re working towards a future where biomarker testing is accessible for everyone.”