Buckingham Palace has announced that the King has cancer. The sentiment ‘cancer does not discriminate’ is one that I have seen in almost every corner of social media since. And whilst the sentiment is entirely true – anyone can get cancer, regardless of what walk of life they hail from – the reality is that privilege and wealth and access to fast, efficient healthcare all have a significant impact on outcome and survival.
The King’s illness was discovered through an elected, unrelated surgery on an enlarged prostate. This was in the last week of January. We are now only in the second week of February, and his diagnosis has been confirmed and he has “commenced regular treatment”. He has stepped back from his official working duties on the advice of his doctors.
A quick diagnosis caught at an early stage, immediate treatment with no delays, freedom to stop work to focus on healing and recovery. It is fantastic that the King is being treated with such care. These are the circumstances that provide the very best chances for people with cancer. This is exactly how the system is supposed to work. However, it doesn’t – not even in the best-case scenario.
The Cancer Research UK website outlines that currently, the average wait time between being diagnosed with cancer and beginning treatment is 62 days. This is a ‘waiting time target’ and they state that there should not be more than 31 days between the agreement of a treatment plan and the beginning of treatment. However, in 2023 only 64.1% of people started their treatment within 62 days, meaning that 100,000 waited longer than they should for life-saving care.
The King’s illness has not only highlighted the health privileges that come with being a member of the royal family but also has highlighted how unequal cancer diagnosis, treatment and subsequently, remission rates are in the UK. Black and Asian people wait longer for cancer diagnosis and treatment than white people. Black women are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage for certain cancers. Nothing about this is ‘level’.
Hopefully, with the spotlight currently resting on the King’s diagnosis, there will be room for the focus to re-adjust and pressure put on the government to sort out the unprecedented and unequal treatment waiting times.
Macmillan offers support for anyone grappling with a diagnosis, living with cancer, or loved ones caring for someone with cancer. If you need to talk, call them on 0808 808 00 00, or visit their website to chat with trained advisors online.
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