Re: Government Announcement - Patients To Have Cancer Tests Within Two Weeks

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 29 Sep 2009 - 22:00 PDT

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The Royal College of Pathologists is delighted to hear the Prime Minister's ongoing commitment to improving cancer diagnostic services. He has said that this will involve more "ultrasounds, CT and MRI scans", but it is important to recognise that in almost every case, the confirmation of cancer is made by not by a scan, but by a pathologist examining a tissue sample in the laboratory. Laboratory investigation is also essential to determine the type of cancer. So more scanning and more endoscopy is not a complete answer; the diagnosis is not certain, and treatment cannot be planned, until the laboratory tests are also complete.

In the past, this process of laboratory testing has not added more than a few days to the diagnostic process, once a biopsy has been taken. However, with increased numbers of tests and limited resources, this level of service is proving difficult to sustain. Recent developments in the diagnosis of some types of cancer include more sophisticated laboratory tests that predict which types of treatment will be effective. These tests can take longer.

There are also promising new developments that may soon allow the diagnosis of cancer in some cases by the analysis of molecules in blood samples or other body fluids.
Consequently it is self-evident that improved laboratory services will also be needed if the predicted speeds of diagnosis are to be delivered.

Notes

- The Royal College of Pathologists covers all aspects of laboratory medicine; microbiology, immunology, haematology, clinical biochemistry, genetics and histopathology. It has 8785 members who are senior staff in hospital laboratories, universities and industry, worldwide.

- Most of the work of pathologists is therefore based on samples from the living. Pathology reports are involved in 70% of episodes of patient care in the NHS.

- The Royal College of Pathologists is a professional membership organisation committed to setting and maintaining professional standards and to promoting excellence in the practice of pathology.

- The College is a registered charity and is not a Trades Union. It does not negotiate the terms of employment of its members.

- The Royal College of Pathologists is holding its second National Pathology Week: the heart of modern healthcare from 2-8 November 2009. For more information visit: http://www.nationalpathologyweek.org

Source
Royal College of Pathologists