A trio of cancer-beating opera artistes, including a soprano, tenor and a pianist, is aiming to give voice to the 77,000 people waiting more than two months for cancer treatment since getting a GP referral this year.
The singers’ composition ‘About Time’ is being backed by insurer Zurich and follows analyses by professor Allan Hackshaw, at the UCL Cancer Institute, which found one in three (36%) cancer patients now wait more than two months to start treatment following an urgent GP referral.
The NHS target is for no more than 15% of patients to wait beyond 62 days. One in six patients are waiting more than 90 days.
The research was commissioned by Zurich, and analysed by Allan Hackshaw, professor of epidemiology and medical statistics at the UCL Cancer Institute, and director of the UCL Cancer Trials Centre.
This involved analysing data on waiting times for NHS Integrated Care Boards available from the NHS, and an online survey conducted by OnePoll using an omnibus research panel of 500 UK adults surveyed between 23 and 25 October 2024; they all had cancer currently or within the last five years, with coverage across age groups and cancer types.
Professor Hackshaw said: “Cancer care in the UK falls consistently short of where it could be, which is heart breaking when we think about how far medical science has come in the past several years.
“Equipment and healthcare staff shortages make it very difficult for many NHS trusts to hit diagnosis and treatment targets, and this varies a lot across the UK.
“Some 97% of clinical directors report that workforce shortages are leading to backlogs and delays at their NHS Trust, with the UK having fewer pathologists than anywhere else in Europe.
“There is hope. We stand on the cusp of a revolution in cancer treatment, with precision oncology and access to effective targeted treatments, as well as modern immunotherapies, offering promise for millions around the world.
“These improvements will save lives, but access is key. It is really encouraging to see companies like Zurich helping to bring these improvements to more people with advanced cancer.”
Treatment the worst part
The vast majority (67%) of cancer survivors reported that waiting for treatment was the worst part of the whole experience and 30% said they felt that time moved very slowly – familiar to the musical trio behind the operatic score of ‘About Time’, inspired by the long wait for cancer treatment.
Monica McGhee, the soprano who wrote the piece, discovered a lump in her throat while warming up for a concert, not long after singing to millions at a packed Wembley FA Cup Final, only to find she had an aggressive form of thyroid cancer.
“There is no easy way of dealing with the crushing news you might have cancer, especially when it threatens one of your reasons for living,” said soprano Monica McGee.
“As an opera singer, I am fortunate to still have a career after discovering a tumour in my throat and will be eternally grateful for the swift surgery and effective treatment that put me on the road to recovery.
“Tragically, that isn’t the experience of 77,000 people in the UK every year, which is why I felt compelled to lend my voice to anyone who feels unheard, and unseen, at such a difficult time.”
While NHS aims to treat 85% of patients within 62 days of an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer, Zurich’s analysis by professor Hackshaw shows that just 64% of patients were seen within this timeframe between January and August 2024.
Location lottery
The research found times for cancer diagnoses and starting cancer treatment vary significantly between geographical regions in the NHS.
Professor Hackshaw’s analysis found that the NHS target of starting treatment for 85% of patients within 62 days has not been met by any of the 42 NHS integrated care boards.
Three in five (59%) patients in Birmingham and Solihull region (West Midlands) waited longer than two months for treatment during January to August 2024, compared to one in five (21%) in the Surrey Heartlands region.
Unsurprisingly, Zurich’s research found that patients in the West Midlands are most likely to feel their wait for cancer treatment was too long; 84% compared to a national average of 67%.
The research also highlighted the need for prompt intervention to improve patient outcomes.
For anti-cancer drugs, each four-week delay could increase the risk of death by 4% for bladder cancer, 9% for breast cancer and 13% for bowel cancer, while the risk of death for patients waiting an additional month for radiotherapy increases by 3-9% for head and neck cancer, or 23% for cervical cancer.
For patients waiting for surgery, each additional month could increase the risk of death by 6% for bladder, colon, head, neck or lung cancer, and 8% for breast cancer.
In the survey, a quarter (28%) of those who were planned to have surgery had the operation cancelled while they waited because their cancer had progressed, with most (71% of those with cancelled surgery) reporting they were not considered fit enough for surgery.
A waiting game
Nicky Bray, chief underwriter at Zurich, said: “We are very lucky to have an NHS service in the UK, but the reality is, cancer is a waiting game, regardless of the challenges faced by the NHS.
“While many people are receiving a quick diagnosis and treatment, there are many factors influencing this – one of which is regionality.
“A cancer journey is not a linear path and there is no beginning middle or end. You wait for a diagnosis, then for treatment, then you wait to see if it has worked.
“Then for some, it’s about waiting for five years of remission as this changing disease could of course come back.
“With or without NHS delays, you’re always waiting for news which causes significant distress. Zurich helps people to protect the things they love, which is why we are committed to helping customers access rapid diagnosis.”
Like McGhee, tenor Toby Spence is also a survivor of thyroid cancer, having undergone ground breaking surgery to remove his glands and several lymph nodes around his neck in 2012.
Pianist, Lee Michael Walton, received his cancer diagnosis in 2006, when a tumour, known as chondrosarcoma, was found in the bone of his face.
He had several complex – and, at the time, revolutionary – operations on his mouth and face, leaving him unable to speak.
Determined to recover, he underwent extensive speech therapy and vocal training, and has since been able to write, record and release original music inspired by his cancer journey.