Breast cancer survival continues to improve in the East of England
Analysis of the most recent data shows that breast cancer survival is now very good and continues to improve at an encouraging rate in the East of England. This is due to many factors, including earlier diagnosis and rapid availability of the most appropriate treatments.
Cancer treatment for patients living in the East of England is the responsibility of three cancer networks – The Anglia Cancer Network, The Essex Cancer Network and the Mount Vernon Cancer Network. These networks co-ordinate the planning, commissioning and delivery of high quality cancer care.
The Anglia Cancer Network covers the 2.7 million people living in Norfolk, Great Yarmouth and Waveney, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and North Bedfordshire.
The Mount Vernon Network covers a population of 1.2 million people living in Hertfordshire and South Bedfordshire.
The Essex Cancer Network covers 1.4 million people in Central and Eastern Essex.
Figure 1 shows breast cancer survival for women resident in these networks over the past fifteen years. It is reassuring to note that in the most recent years there is no significant difference between survival in each of the three cancer networks when compared with the average for the East of England SHA.
However, survival in Anglia Cancer Network does remain slightly higher than Essex or Mount Vernon. This is almost certainly due to higher levels of affluence in the Anglia network area, as it is well known that cancer survival tends to be slightly poorer in less affluent populations.