Academics at the University of Surrey conducted research examining breast cancer diagnosis patterns across different demographic groups in England. The study analyzed data from 86,564 individuals diagnosed with the disease between 2009 and 2019, drawing information from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and the Cancer Registration Tumour and Treatment datasets. The work was funded by the charity Breast Cancer Now.
The findings indicate significant disparities in how breast cancer diagnoses occur across populations. People from Black, Asian, and mixed ethnic backgrounds, as well as those from economically deprived areas, were up to 33% less likely to receive diagnoses through routine screening programs. Conversely, these same groups were up to 31% more likely to be diagnosed through urgent suspected cancer referral pathways and up to 37% more likely to be diagnosed following emergency presentations.
Additional analysis revealed that individuals living with learning disabilities experienced prolonged diagnostic timelines, with their time to diagnosis averaging 18% longer than those without learning disabilities. This population also faced a 10% longer wait for treatment initiation. According to previous research cited in the analysis, ethnic minorities typically require more general practitioner visits before receiving cancer diagnoses—one in three people from ethnic minority backgrounds need three or more GP interactions, compared to one in five across the general English population.
Dr. Rob Kerrison, lead investigator of the study and an associate professor at the University of Surrey, emphasized that inequalities in screening access and treatment delays may explain observed survival rate differences. Researchers stated that ensuring equitable access to screening and timely treatment regardless of background or circumstances represents a critical priority for improving breast cancer outcomes across all population groups.
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