Post-chemotherapy death trends revealed by new UK study

Key trends in post-chemotherapy deaths have been revealed by a new study utilising Public Health England cancer data.

Published in The Lancet Oncology, this was the first major report using world-first systemic anticancer treatment (SACT) data, drawing from information on 23,228 women with breast cancer and 9,634 patients with the most common form of lung cancer in England in 2014.

Examining how many of these patients died within 30 days of the start of their most recent chemotherapy, it was shown that most were receiving palliative treatment, with only a small number of deaths occurring in patients given treatment with the intention to cure.

The majority of hospitals had no deaths with curative intent, with those most likely to die including older patients with more advanced disease and those who also had other illnesses. Deaths occurred most frequently after the first round of chemotherapy.

A total of seven hospitals treating breast cancer and five treating lung cancer with an intention to cure saw their risk-adjusted death rates fall outside the confidence limits expected. They are now being asked to review their practices.

Dr Jem Rashbass, cancer lead for Public Health England, said: "This world-leading database will allow us to monitor the quality of chemotherapy treatment given to all patients across the NHS in near real-time."

With over 20 years of experience within the medical devices market, we at Zenopa have the knowledge, skills and expertise to help find the right job for you. To find out more about the current medical device roles we have available, you can search for the latest job roles, register your details, or contact the team today.