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Britain has the highest cancer death rate in Europe among poor women, a new World Health Organization study has found.
They are more likely to die from the disease than better-off women in the UK and women under poverty in many other European countries.
Women from disadvantaged backgrounds in the UK are particularly at risk of dying from cancer of the lung, liver, bladder and esophagus (foodpipe), according to research by the WHO’s specialist cancer body, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Dr. IARC experts led by Salvatore Vaccarella analyzed data from 17 European countries, finding socioeconomic disparities in mortality for 17 different types of cancer between 1990 and 2015.
Of the 17 countries studied, Britain has the sixth worst record for the number of poor women dying from cancer. It has the worst record for esophageal cancer, the fourth worst for lung and liver cancer, and the seventh worst for breast and kidney cancer.
However, the UK has a better record of poor men dying from cancer than their counterparts in 16 other countries. It ranks fifth overall, second for larynx and throat cancer, and third for lung, stomach, and colon cancers.
The researchers believe that the stark gender divide is likely because women in the UK started smoking in greater numbers a few years after men. They pointed to the fact that lung cancer cases have fallen among men overall in Britain, remained stable or increased among women, and increased among women from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The research team, which included experts from Imperial College and University College London, used educational attainment as an indicator of deprivation.
“Among men, the UK shows an intermediate level of educational inequality across all cancers included among European countries.
“However, among women, the UK shows the highest educational inequality in cancer, behind Denmark, the Czech Republic, Poland and Norway,” Vaccarella said.
The study, published Monday in The Lancet Regional Health Europe, based its findings on data collected for adults aged 40 to 79 in 17 countries, including England and Wales. For publication purposes, England and Wales were grouped together.
More poor than wealthy people die of cancer across Europe, it has found.
“Everywhere, low-educated individuals suffer systematically higher mortality for almost all types of cancer, compared to their more highly educated counterparts, with a social gradient of increased risk of death with decreasing education level,” the study concludes.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said women’s health is a key priority and is taking steps to improve cancer diagnosis and outcomes.
“We are committed to improving the nation’s health and we have put women’s health at the top of the agenda by publishing a women’s health strategy and appointing the first female health ambassador for England,” a DHSC spokesperson said.
“We are working at pace to improve outcomes for cancer patients across England, including improving referral rates. During August, 92% started cancer treatment within a month of referral.
“We have also opened more than 90 community diagnostic centers so far, which have provided more than two million additional scans, tests and check-ups.”
Overnight, the new Tory chairman of the Commons Health and Social Care Committee has urged the government to clarify whether it intends to bring forward new plans to tackle the backlog of cancer treatments in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Steve Brine, the former health minister, told the Press Association that he doubts the government still wants to bring forward a promised 10-year new cancer strategy to improve early diagnosis, treatment and survival.
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