02 November 2021

Employers must embrace easy-access cancer screening for better health outcomes

The chances of surviving cancer significantly increase if it is detected early. Screening tests help to detect cancer before symptoms are presented. It is therefore imperative that employers embrace the concept of easy access to screening if they really want to support the health and wellbeing of their employees.

The impact of Covid¹

Over three million people missed routine cancer screening appointments in England during the pandemic. This would normally diagnose around 400 cancers every week. There is now a huge backlog in cancer screening, diagnoses, and treatment. This has resulted in a 6.8% increase in diagnosis of terminal, stage 4 cancer. The current backlog is estimated to be causing 3-6 months of delays to cancer diagnoses and treatment, contributing to 4,700 otherwise avoidable deaths.

Brett Hill, Distribution Director at Towergate Employee Benefits says: “Some cancers do not show symptoms until they are in advanced stages. These include bowel, lung, and prostate cancer. Screening is vital in detecting these cancers early, which then vastly increases the chances of survival and often means that treatment is less severe and more effective. In short, quicker diagnoses equals better health outcomes.”

Why early detection is so important²

If detected in its earliest stages, prostate cancer is around 90% curable
Of the 55,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK, 23% are preventable by screening and risk reduction
Survival rates of lung cancer are low because it is generally detected late
Cervical cancer is very treatable if detected in its earliest stages but one in four women fail to attend NHS cervical screening, this increases to one in three women aged 25 – 29 years
The earlier skin cancer is detected, the better the outcome. This is particularly true of a malignant mole or melanoma

Simple, effective testing

The six most common cancers in the UK are bowel, skin, cervical, lung, breast, and prostate. There are seven screening tests for these cancers and five of them can be done at home.

Bowel cancer – at home sample test kit. Results within five days
Skin cancer – local clinic visit for a simple skin examination. Results within five days
Cervical cancer (HPV) – at home sample test kit. Results within five days
Lung cancer - at home sample test kit. Results within two weeks
Breast cancer – local clinic visit for mammogram. Results within three to four weeks
Breast cancer risk – at home DNA saliva test kit. Results within eight weeks
Prostate cancer – at home finger-prick test. Results within one week

Brett Hill comments: “Many people do not realise just how simple cancer screening can be. Clinics offering testing are spread across the UK for simple, local access. Moreover, the majority of the tests can be carried out at home by the individual, with no need for any visit to their GP.”

Employers can help

Employers can help to tackle the cancer screening backlog. Tests are available as one-off standalone checks, without any attachment to private medical insurance. These can also be discounted to employers which can make them even more accessible. Employers are, therefore, in a position to be able to offer an invaluable employee benefit to staff, which will be a huge support to health and wellbeing, can reduce anxiety around any cancer concerns, and could prove a vital preventative measure.

Professor Gordon Wishart, Chief Medical Officer at Check4Cancer, says: “With early detection being so critical to the successful treatment of cancer, we are working in partnership with Towergate Employee Benefits to offer essential cancer screening tests at a discounted rate for clients. These are a quick and convenient way for employees to take control of their health and wellbeing.”

Education and awareness minimise the risk³

Offering screening also has a part to play in raising awareness of cancer and its contributing factors. 40% of all cancers diagnosed in the UK are attributed to lifestyle and environmental factors and 42% are preventable. Education, awareness, and prevention is key to reducing cancer risk. Offering screening helps to start the conversation around cancer risk and many of the tests are accompanied by information and advice to employees on how they can take preventative measures and lifestyle choices to minimise the risk.

Brett Hill concludes: “So many cancers are completely curable if caught early. With screening so simple, cost effective, easily accessed, and successful, this really should be at the top of the list for employers to offer to their staff.”

Resources

^{1. Collateral damage: the impact on outcomes from cancer surgery of the COVID-19 pandemic - Annals of Oncology}
^{2. Cancer Screening Tests & Diagnostics | Check4Cancer}
^{3. Statistics on preventable cancers | Cancer Research UK}