Prostate cancer deaths are higher in the UK because we pay for the more expensive PSA tests here. In the UK they stick with the old finger wave method.
Also, here is an interesting article from the Guardian.
http://www.seniorsworldchronicle.com/2009/06/uk-up-to-15000-older-cancer-patients.htmlOne of our friends from the UK had to come here to find out that she didn't have melanoma. The soonest appt. she could get with her public insurance plan was several months down the line even though the family doc thought she had melanoma. She came here for a visit a few weeks later and we made an appointment for her to get in within 2 days to have it looked at. If it HAD been melanoma and she had waited 4 months for her appt. in the UK it would have been a disaster. This same friend also has a 7 year old daughter with kidney damage due to undiagnosed and untreated reflux. It was finally discovered this year after years of taking her daughter in for urinary tract infections and fevers. The child had to have surgery and then the surgery was rescheduled twice because of staffing and space issues in the hospital.
Oh...and just so you know, I AM a democrat and I do support some sort of universal coverage...just not an all out public option.
Up to 15,000 older cancer patients die prematurely of the disease in the UK each year, researchers said today.
The National Cancer Intelligence Network said these deaths could be prevented if the UK was as good at treating cancer in the over-75s as the best in Europe and America.
Over the past 10 years, the numbers dying of cancer under the age of 75 have dropped significantly, but the UK is still lagging behind on those over 75, according to the Manchester-based North-west Cancer Intelligence Service, which carried out the study, presented at a conference today. It says the gap between the UK and the top services in Europe and the US is widening.
"It's worrying that so many older people die from cancer in the UK compared with other countries," said the lead researcher, Dr Tony Moran. "But it's not clear why this is. Research is urgently needed to understand the reasons for the extra deaths so that steps can be taken to prevent them.
"Cancer is largely a disease of older people, with about half of all cancers diagnosed in those aged 70 or older. Most 75 year-olds could be expected to live for at least another 10 years, and we would expect them to benefit from improvements in treatment."
The likely reasons for the age disparity, said Chris Carrigan, the head of NCIN, included going to the doctor late, delayed diagnosis and treatment.
"It's really important that people are aware of cancer symptoms and feel able to go to the doctor if they notice anything that feels wrong for them," he said.
"We believe many deaths could be avoided each year in the UK if cancers were diagnosed sooner."