Years after treatment, 45% of cancer survivors in Northern Ireland suffer from physical and mental health problems, according to new research from Macmillan Cancer Support and Queen’s University Belfast.
The research highlights the late effects of cancer and its treatments, including extreme tiredness, lymphedema, memory problems, nerve damage, and severe depression. According to the report, 40% of cancer survivors experienced unmet healthcare and social care needs. In fact, study participants who previously had a cancer diagnosis reported more visits to their general practitioner, more visits to the hospital, and more illnesses than the general population, often years after treatment had ended.
Furthermore, caregivers were just as likely as cancer survivors to report poor physical and mental health. Such health quality in caregivers is not completely unexpected, since 25% spend more than 22 hours per week providing care, often many years after treatment has finished, according to the report.
Macmillan’s general manager in Northern Ireland, Heather Monteverde, said: “Patients are living longer following their cancer diagnosis due to earlier detection, screening and better treatment. However, this report clearly shows that many cancer survivors continue to have poorer health often many years after completion of treatment....The number of people living with cancer is growing every year so it is essential changes are made now to avoid serious problems in the future.”
Of the cancer survivors involved in the study, a quarter believed that better coordinated care was necessary, and 21% felt they needed more support to manage their anxiety about cancer recurrence.
Macmillan says the report offers further evidence that a transformation is necessary when it comes to the delivery of healthcare, especially with the number of people being diagnosed with cancer set to double by 2030.
Dr Olinda Santin, from Queen’s University Belfast, said: “There is a need for further research and service development to identify and support those groups of cancer survivors and caregivers who are affected by poorer health and well-being and who have unmet needs or experience late effects of their treatment.”
Source: Queen’s University Belfast.