'Unacceptable' delays in diagnosing secondary breast cancer

One in four patients with secondary breast cancer had to visit their GP three or more times before they got a diagnosis, a survey suggests.

The breast cancer charity, Breast Cancer Now, said there should be more awareness that the disease can spread to other parts of the body. In the UK, 35,000 people are living with the incurable form of the disease.

GPs said they were doing their best for patients but symptoms could be difficult to spot.

Breast Cancer Now said it was "unacceptable" that some people whose cancer had spread were not getting early access to treatments which could alleviate symptoms and improve their quality of life.

Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard, from the Royal College of GPs, called for GPs to have better access to the right diagnostic tools and training to use them.

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Source: BBC News, 11 October 2019