19 hospital trusts with high death rates are told to improve
- Public Health England reviewed chemotherapy mortality across country
- Study looked at 30,000 patients who received cancer treatment
- Found 19 trusts had mortality rates in excess of the 95% control limits
- Cancer charities said it was vital patients were made aware of the risks
Cancer drugs are behind the deaths of up to half of patients with the disease in some hospitals, a damning report has found.
Researchers looked at the numbers of cancer patients who died within 30 days of starting the treatment, indicating the medication is responsible, rather than the disease itself.
They found 19 hospital trusts had higher rates of 30-day mortality after chemotherapy for lung and breast cancer than expected.
The hospital trusts have now been told to review their cancer treatment after data showed that too many patients died within a month of receiving chemotherapy.
Patients should be warned chemotherapy drugs can be fatal after a study
found 19 hospital trusts had higher 30-day mortality rate than expected
It is the first time that chemotherapy mortality data has been collected at a national level.
The study, by Public Health England and Cancer Research UK, found that around 8.5 per cent of patients with lung cancer and 2.5 per cent of patients with breast cancer died within 30 days.
Age, general wellbeing and other factors affected the death rate following treatment, the study of more than 30,000 patients in England suggested.
Around 7.5 per cent of palliatively treated breast cancer patients - those for whom a cure is not expected and treatment is to alleviate symptoms - died within 30 days of receiving chemotherapy.
This compared to 10 per cent of palliatively treated lung cancer patients.
Of those receiving chemotherapy to cure them, 2.9 per cent with lung cancer died within 30 days, and 0.26 per cent of those with breast cancer died.
The 19 trusts including, Blackpool, South Tyneside, Coventry, Derby and Surrey and Sussex, which had mortality rates in excess of the 95 per cent control limits, have been urged to review their clinical practice by PHE.
The death rate for lung cancer treatment in Milton Keynes was 50.9 per cent, although it was based on a very small number of patients.
Meanwhile, the rate at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals was 28 per cent for palliative chemotherapy for lung cancer.
Dr Jem Rashbass, cancer lead for PHE, said: 'Chemotherapy is a vital part of cancer treatment and is a large reason behind the improved survival rates over the last four decades.
'However, it is powerful medication with significant side effects and often getting the balance right on which patients to treat aggressively can be hard.
'Studies like this help improve our understanding of how people are affected by chemotherapy in the real world and most importantly help us to treat patients better.
'Those hospitals whose death rates are outside the expected range have had the findings shared with them and we have asked them to review their practice and data.'
The study also found that the death rate following treatment of non-small cell lung cancer with curative intent of 3 per cent was four times higher than previously thought.
Research has found 2.5 per cent of patients with breast cancer who
had chemotherapy died within 30 days of starting treatment
Professor Jane Maher, joint chief medical officer at Macmillan Cancer Support, said the finding was 'concerning'.
'Chemotherapy is a crucial part of cancer treatment, having had an enormous impact on rising survival rates over the years,' she said.
'However, it can result in severe long-term side effects such as the risk of heart or lung problems later in life. It's important that the full impact is considered when administering something so powerful.
'This is why it's concerning to see that the risk of death following chemotherapy intended to cure non-small cell lung cancer is almost four times as high as previously thought.
'Access to this real-world data is crucial for health professionals to help them better understand the delicate balancing act when comparing the risk of death or severe side effects and the potential increase in survival if chemotherapy is administered.
'It's also important that patients are as well-informed as possible to help them make decisions around their treatment.'
The research was published in The Lancet Oncology Journal.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3766382/Nineteen-NHS-trusts-review-chemotherapy-high-death-rates.html
