CANCER

National Bowel Cancer Audit 2009 (October 2009)
The information Centre has published the National Bowel Cancer Audit which presents findings on data collected for both the 2006/07 and 2007/08 reporting periods, and includes patients with a diagnosis date from 1 April 2006 to 31 July 2008. Among the recommendations are:

• Trusts should establish mechanisms for reviewing their audit data and ensure maximum data completeness of the essential dataset
• All bowel cancer patients should be seen by a clinical nurse specialist
• Trusts and Networks should review their 30 day post operative mortality rates and explore significant variance from Network and national figures
• Trust Service Improvement or Clinical Governance teams should utilise the draft National Bowel Cancer Audit local action plan in support of their service improvement, clinical governance and cancer peer review activity
• Networks and Cancer Service Commissioners should use the findings of this report and its recommendations to support monitoring, review and contracting activity in relation to bowel cancer services.
  

Executive Summary
Report

National Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction Audit 2009 (October 2009)
Figures from this audit reveal that just under half of women (48%) are being offered immediate breast reconstructive surgery when they have a mastectomy. 21% of women having a mastectomy as part of their treatment for breast choose to have the procedure.
Audit

Reviewing the Lung Cancer Plan: Are we emerging from the shadow of lung cancer>? (2nd November 2009)
The NHS is still failing lung cancer patients, according to the results of the first national review of lung cancer services, published today (2 November 2009) by the UK Lung Cancer Coalition. Despite headway in UK lung cancer prevention, disease awareness and screening, key areas such as diagnosis, treatment rates and access to specialists are still ‘woefully inadequate’ say the UK’s leading lung cancer experts.
Report