A report released in October of this year has found that British GPs are failing to diagnose teenage cancer cases. The report, which was put together by the Teenage Cancer Trust, has identified that patients aged between 13 and 24 are three times more likely to have their condition identified during a visit to A&E than a GP appointment. The report also highlighted that more than a quarter of those who were diagnosed as a result of a visit to A&E had already visited their GP with cancer symptoms but no action had been taken by the GP.
The statistics relating to cancer diagnoses in young patients indicate that the figure of 37% of teenage cancer patients whose condition is identified as a result of a visit to A&E is three times that for adult cancer patients, who tend to be diagnosed at the GP stage rather than as a critical admission.
What is important to note is that the charity’s report also identified that those young people who were diagnosed following a visit to A&E tended to have a poorer prognosis than those who were diagnosed during a visit to the GP. The report also highlighted that they experienced a lower standard of care in treatment of the disease.
The Teenage Cancer Trust was quick to clarify that it is more difficult to diagnose cancer in a young patient as the warning signs of the disease can confuse - they may appear as a symptom of another condition, for example, something as (relatively) harmless as a virus. However, this is still a worrying trend and the charity released a statement urging GPs to “employ rigorous safety netting techniques that keep young people coming back when symptoms do not resolve or worsen. GPs should consider referral after repeat consultations for the same symptoms and keep up to date with referral guidelines for suspected cancer.”
Given the better prognosis for cancer that is detected early, it is particularly important that the situation is rectified, something that could be achieved by the ‘safety netting’ techniques mentioned by the charity. This approach requires a GP to make a plan with a young person to monitor a condition and to agree steps for action if it doesn’t get any better. The crucial element is that the plan should be carried out in a short time frame to ensure that any signs of cancer are caught early. The GP should follow up with the young patient on appointments, particularly where they have been missed, and generally be more aware of signs of illness that may not be as innocent as they first seem. The Teenage Cancer Trust has also provided guidance on those symptoms that are the most common indicators of cancer and these include extreme weight loss, serious tiredness, pain, a swelling lump or bump or a mole that changes.
Cancer in young people, when caught early, is much more easily treated. However a delayed diagnosis can mean a very different result – which is why it is so important now for GPs to be more vigilant than ever.