NEWS Concerns over endoscopy capacity


Rising demand for endoscopy procedures and a lack of surveillance for those at highest risk of developing bowel cancer could lead to more deaths from the disease, says Bowel Cancer UK.


A report, Improving capacity, saving lives:


Endoscopy in the UK, shows that despite the Government’s aspiration to diagnose people earlier, groups or individuals who need to undergo regular endoscopic procedures because they are at higher risk of bowel cancer (for example, because of a genetic condition or an inflammatory bowel condition) are not getting the timely surveillance they need. Bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest


cancer killer, and the overall five-year survival rate of those diagnosed is just over 50%. The Bowel Cancer UK report also highlighted the predicted increase in demand from awareness


campaigns, screening including age extension, surveillance and demographic changes. To change this, Bowel Cancer UK is calling for: the Department of Health (DH) to ensure that data is collected consistently on people at genetic risk of bowel cancer, and to ensure that they are in an effective surveillance programme; patients waiting beyond six weeks for surveillance procedures to be included in the monthly diagnostic returns to ensure they are being seen in a timely manner and not overlooked; hospital Trusts and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to fully support endoscopy teams in meeting increasing demand so they can provide a high quality, sustainable and timely service for all those who need it; the DH to ensure that there is clarity and consistency on what endoscopy test should be used and when; barium enema to be ruled


E-learning key to earlier diagnosis of pancreatic cancer


National charity Pancreatic Cancer Action and the Royal College of GPs have joined forces to develop the world’s first e-learning tool to help GPs diagnose pancreatic cancer earlier. Pancreatic cancer is Britain’s fifth deadliest


cancer with a five year survival rate of only 3% – among the worst in Europe – and a figure which has not changed for over 40 years. Most patients have a life expectancy of just four to six months following diagnosis. In the absence of a long- term cure, earlier diagnosis is currently the only way forward to provide patients with the


potential for curative surgery. The e-learning programme uses a case study


format with video footage – enabling GPs to assess and improve their knowledge. Dr Ishani Patel, the RCGP e-learning fellow


and associate at the NorthWest London Cancer Network, said: “Very importantly this online learning course looks at both atypical presentations of the disease as well as the more classic symptoms of the illness. This will help GPs to ‘think cancer’ sooner and help primary care to diagnose pancreatic cancers earlier and improve survival.”


out as a diagnostic test for bower cancer; the NHS Commissioning Board to ensure that no private endoscopy providers are commissioned unless they have full accreditation from the Joint Advisory Group (JAG) on GI Endoscopy.


High blood pressure in pregnancy may affect IQ


New research, part funded by the British Heart Foundation, shows that high blood pressure among expectant mothers may have an effect on their child’s IQ in later life. The medical records of 398 women who


gave birth to a son between 1934 and 1944 were examined by researchers. The thinking abilities of the grown up children, including language skills, maths reasoning and visual and spatial awareness, were then tested aged 20 and then again at an average age of 69.


Results showed that men whose mothers


had high blood pressure while pregnant scored lower on thinking ability tests at age 69, compared to those whose mothers did not have high blood pressure. The new research from Finland was


published in Neurology, a journal of the American Academy of Neurology.


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THE CLINICAL SERVICES JOURNAL


NOVEMBER 2012


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