SHOCK CUMBRIA DEATH FIGURES
By Elizabeth Kay

Shock new figures have revealed that North Cumbria has the third worst suicide rate in England and Wales. The area is also identified as having one of the highest levels of fatal accidents, including road crashes. Breast cancer survival rates were also highlighted as among the lowest 10 in the country.

In Cumbria, 14 people out of every 100,000 take their own life every year, compared with a national average of 9. Only Camden and Islington in London (15) and Manchester (17) have a higher suicide rate.

The ratio of deaths caused by accidents is also high, with 23 people dying out of every 100,000 every year. Again, Manchester was the only area where this was higher, with 29 deaths per 100,000.

Dr Nigel Calver, a consultant for the North Cumbria Health Authority, said: "We have high rates in both these areas because of the rural nature of Cumbria. We have a lot of road accidents and many people can feel isolated." The health authority, which until April 2001 had overall control over breast cancer services, was highlighted as one of ten worst survival rates for the disease.

NHS performance indicators published yesterday recorded Cumbria's five years survival rate at 70.8 per cent for April 2000 to April 2001. This is a score of 4.7 per cent less than the figures for 1999/2000.

The Depart of Health says that cancer survival rates are a key measure of the effectiveness of treatment for cancer by the NHS.

East Surrey Health Authority came out best in the breast cancer survival table with 80.6 per cent of women surviving for five years.

Dr Calvert said: "It is disappointing but these figures compare just one year to another rather than looking over a wider picture. Breast cancer survival rates have actually been increasing if you look over a ten year rather than two year picture. There seems to have been more women who were diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995 which would affect this figure which has recorded survival rate for five years up to 2001."

Cumbria was not the worst region in the North of England as eight other authorities including Newcastle, Sunderland, Derbyshire and Liverpool, also scored much lower figures of between 60 and 64 per cent.

Cumbria fared better on other survival rates for cancers. Just under four per cent of people diagnosed with lung cancer in 1995 will survive for five years. Although this appears to be a very low figure, lung cancer is one of the most aggressive killers. Even so, the 3.9 per cent survival for five years in 2000/2001, is up from 2.3 per cent the previous year.

Just under half of people diagnosed with colon cancer had survived for five years in 2000/2001, a slight deterioration on the previous year.
News & Star, Thursday 21st February 2002

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