Huge gap in world cancer survival

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7510121.stm [Excerpts]
Huge gap in world cancer survival

There is a huge variation in cancer survival rates across the world, a
global study shows.

The US, Australia, Canada, France and Japan had the highest five-year
survival rates, while Algeria had the worst, Lancet Oncology reported.

The UK fared pretty poorly, trailing most of its western European
neighbours - although the data is from the 1990s since when survival rates
have risen.

The research was carried out by more than 100 scientists across the world
led by Professor Michel Coleman, of the London School of Hygiene and
Tropical Medicine.

It involved analysing data on more than two million cancer patients who
were diagnosed and treated during the 1990s.

There were also large regional variations within the UK, which were linked
to differences in access to care and ability of patients to navigate the
local health services. Both are directly linked to deprivation.

A Department of Health spokesman said the report covered patients
diagnosed between 1990 and 1994.

"Since that time, cancer survival rates in England have been steadily
improving for but we accept that there is further work to do to reduce
the gap between us and the rest of northern and western Europe and
America."

Algeria, the only African country involved, came bottom in all types of
cancer.

White Americans, who are on the whole wealthier and therefore more able to
afford the insurance which underpins the US system, were up to 14% more
likely than others to survive cancer.

Professor Coleman said some of the differences could be attributed to
variations in "access to diagnostic and treatment services".

"This, of course, is associated with the amount of investment in
technology such as CT scanners."

Dr Lesley Walker, Cancer Research UK's director of cancer information,
added: "The report is the first major study to compare cancer survival
across five continents and has highlighted the stark differences in
survival between poor and wealthy countries\\