• News and events home
• News
• Events
• Features
• Press Office contacts

New report examines costs and outcomes of treatment for bowel cancer

Posted on 15 October 2007

One of the most comprehensive assessments of the economic burden of treating bowel cancer has been completed by researchers at the York Health Economics Consortium, at the University of York, and the School of Health and Related Research, at the University of Sheffield.

The report, commissioned by the Department of Health, examines the costs and outcomes of the treatment for bowel, or colorectal, cancer in the NHS in England. Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in England, following breast and lung cancer and accounts for around 12 per cent of all cancer cases.

Our report suggests that the total cost of bowel cancer to the National Health Service in England is approximately £1.1bn a year

Paul Trueman

Figures for 2003 show that there were approximately 27,800 new cases of bowel cancer diagnosed in that year. Five year survival rates for bowel cancer are below 50 per cent in England, partly as a result of the significant number of cases that are diagnosed at an advanced stage.

The findings of the research are under consideration by the Department of Health Cancer Action Team which is currently developing the National Cancer Reform Strategy. The Strategy will build on changes in cancer care that have occurred since the publication of the NHS Cancer Plan in 2000.

The costs and outcomes associated with treatment of bowel cancer were derived from a synthesis of routinely collected healthcare data, such as cancer registry data and hospital episode statistics, as well as a review of published research on the topic.

Paul Trueman, Director, of York Health Economics Consortium, said: "Our report suggests that the total cost of bowel cancer to the National Health Service in England is approximately £1.1bn a year. This figure takes into account the cost of diagnosis, treatment and palliative care. The mean annual cost of treating a patient with rectal cancer is estimated to be approximately £12,000, while the mean annual cost of treating a patient with colon cancer is approximately £8,800."

Jim Chilcott from ScHARR, said "This work brings together what we know on current colorectal cancer services and moves towards a framework for decision making that will allow the NHS to direct future investment to explicitly balance prevention, treatment and palliative colorectal cancer services."

The analysis suggests that the following have the potential to improve patient outcomes in a cost effective manner:

• Changes to the GP referral criteria for suspected cases of bowel cancer
• Increasing the use of colonoscopy in diagnosis
• Increasing the use of emergency stenting surgery
• Improving the level of surgical and pathology expertise
• Increasing the use of adjuvant/palliative chemotherapy
• Introducing an enhanced recovery programme.

The full report of the research findings is available to download from www.yhec.co.uk or www.shef.ac.uk/scharr/sections/heds/modelling/colorectal-cancers.html. The report comprises a report of the costs and outcomes of bowel cancer and the findings of the options appraisal model, which considers changes to the treatment pathway. An accompanying report is also available which summarises the literature considered as part of the research.

A summary report of the findings is available on request from the York Health Economics Consortium.

ENDS

Contact details

Paul Trueman
01904 433620 or 07917 197490