"Nearly a third of patients with lung cancer and more than 40% of patients with colorectal cancer who are urgently referred to hospital by their GP do not undergo surgery or start receiving therapy within the target period, according to these figures.The picture is better for breast and ovarian cancer patients, with 85% and 86% of sufferers starting treatment within time.The Scottish Executive still does not know how swiftly people with a wide range of other cancers, including prostate and skin, receive treatment. However, progress re-ports using data which is out of date or not yet validated, also seen by The Herald, suggest some other cancers are even further behind target.In some parts of Scotland, the latest information shows just a third of urgent patients with prostate cancer receiving treatment on target."
The actual figures are here, broken down by health board area. Actual achievement, on an all Scotland basis, as against a target of 2 months between referral and treament is:
breast cancer 84.8%
colorectal cancer 57.3%
lung cancer 68.5%
ovarian cancer 85.7%
Pretty dismal stuff, if you are a worried cancer patient who has to sit and wait for treatment for more than two months.
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