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Survival variationsTwo separate reports havesuggested that both where aperson lives, and their level ofwealth, may affect their chancesof surviving certain cancers.One report from the Office forNational Statistics, Geographicpatterns of cancer survival inEngland, patients followed to 2010,revealed wide variations in oneyearsurvival estimates betweencancer networks. The largestdiscrepancy was for people withstomach cancer, with one-yearsurvival varying between 28.6%and 45.5% across networks.Mike Hobday, MacmillanDirector of Policy and Research,says, ‘It is clear that every personwith cancer should expect the verybest chances of survival – nomatter where they live. Moremoney needs to be put intoNewsunderstanding and reducing thesevariations in order to end thiscancer survival postcode lottery.’Another study, which waspresented at the National CancerIntelligence Network conference inBirmingham this year, found thatsurvival rates for bowel cancerwere lower in more economicallydeprivedareas. The researcherslooked at nearly 4,300 people whohad surgery for bowel cancer, andcompared those of the same ageat diagnosis and sex across varioussocioeconomic groups.The findings showed that peoplewith bowel cancer living in poorerareas were 24% less likely tosurvive than more affluent patients.Researchers said that peoplepresenting with symptoms ata later stage in these areaswas a factor in this.In briefOff-labelThe Rarer Cancers Foundationestimates that the Cancer DrugsFund has led to an increase in accessto off-label treatments of between39% and 51%, representing theextent of unmet need in the oldsystem. Read its new report, Rarebut common, at bit.ly/MA2lZ6Cancer statsBetween 1971 and 2010, the annualnumber of new cancer cases inEngland almost doubled from 138,436to 268,758, according to the Officeof National Statistics. Visit tinyurl.com/7r7bdzb to read its report.Green DealFrom October, a new UK-widescheme will help homeowners tomake energy-saving changes to theirhome at no upfront cost. It is hopedthat the Green Deal will benefit themany people affected by cancer whoare affected by fuel poverty. In 2011,Macmillan gave £2.68 million to13,691 people to help with theirfuel bills. Visit tinyurl.com/d2qswu37 yearsCatherine Skinner, who has spent37 years fundraising for Macmillan,was highly commended in theVolunteer of the Year categoryof the Third Sector ExcellenceAwards. Her achievements includeraising £106,000 from a Highlandcattle market to help fund a newchemotherapy unit in Inverness.www.macmillan.org.uk/macvoice 5