Early GP referrals are improving cancer outcomes

A new study has found that early GP referrals are likely to lead to cancer patients surviving longer highlighting the importance of continuing urgent referrals, diagnosis and treatment for cancer patients during the pandemic. The study by King’s College London and funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) analysed 1.4 million cancer patients in England and found that cancer patients from the highest referring GP practices had a lower mortality rate. Published in the British Journal of General Practice, it found that cancer patients from these same practices were also more likely to be diagnosed at an earlier stage for breast, lung and prostate