
Childhood cancers which take longest to diagnose revealed in new study
Researchers, led by University of Nottingham, analysed data on 2,000 children diagnosed with cancer between September 2020 and March 2023.
Untreated, tumours grow bigger and can spread around the body, requiring more extensive surgery and more intensive therapies to offer a cure.
On average, children with cancer were diagnosed within 4.6 weeks.
While some children were diagnosed on the same day their symptoms began, others waited up to six years, experts found.
The time to diagnosis was found to be longest among 15 to 18-year-olds, who waited for an average of 8.7 weeks before they were told they had cancer.
And those with bone cancer were found to wait for more than three months on average, or 12.6 weeks.
Meanwhile children under the age of one waited just 3.7 weeks before diagnosis and children with kidney cancer, also known as renal cancer, waited for an average of 2.3 weeks before they were diagnosed.
But they said that overall, half of children and young people diagnosed with cancer in the UK are waiting for four weeks or more to be diagnosed.
They also studied where children were diagnosed and found the majority (67%) were diagnosed after a trip to A&E, after an emergency referral or emergency admission to hospital.
Some cancer types, including bone tumours, soft tissue tumours Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis and brain tumours, were associated with a higher number of medical visits before diagnosis.
Writing in the Lancet Regional Health – Europe, researchers said their work highlights 'disparities for age and diagnostics groups' when it comes to cancer diagnoses as they called for more efforts to 'accelerating diagnosis' for those facing 'lengthy' waits.
They said the findings could help inform health officials as they draw up a national cancer plan for England.
Dr Shaarna Shanmugavadivel, from the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham, said: 'For the first time, we understand the current landscape of childhood cancer diagnosis in the UK.
'There is an urgent need to focus efforts on young people and tumour types such as bone tumours that are still experiencing lengthy intervals.
'Earliest possible diagnosis is key as time is crucial.
'Untreated, tumours grow bigger and can spread around the body, requiring more extensive surgery and more intensive therapies to offer cure.
'The findings will help focus efforts towards closing the gap for these groups, ensuring more children and young people receive a diagnosis sooner.'
Ashley Ball-Gamble, chief executive of CCLG: The Children and Young People's Cancer Association, and co-author of the study, added: 'It's crucial that we understand why certain groups, such as older teenagers, or those with certain cancers, such as bone and brain tumours, are likely to face a lengthier diagnosis.
'By recognising these differences, we hope to work towards faster diagnoses and improved survival rates.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
34 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Study: Avoiding ultra-processed foods while dieting can double weight loss
By Consuming a diet low in ultra-processed foods could help supercharge weight loss , promising research suggested today. Additive-laden foods such as crisps and sweets have been vilified for decades over their supposed risks, with dozens of studies linking them to type 2 diabetes , heart disease and cancer . Experts have even called for UPFs—typically anything edible that has more artificial ingredients than natural ones—to be slashed from diets. Now, British scientists who tracked dozens of adults have discovered those who ate a diet rich in minimally processed foods and avoided UPFs, lost twice as much weight as those who often consumed UPFs. Sticking to meals cooked from scratch could also help curb food cravings, they also found. However, diets high in UPFs had little impact on blood pressure, heart rate, liver function and cholesterol. 'But not all ultra-processed foods are inherently unhealthy based on their nutritional profile.' In the study, the researchers tracked 50 people who were already consuming diets packed with UPFs and split them into two groups. Half were given an eight-week diet plan comprising minimally processed foods, such as overnight oats and spaghetti bolognese, while the other half were given foods like breakfast oat bars or lasagne ready meals. After completing one diet, the groups then switched. Researchers matched the two diets nutritionally on levels of fat, saturated fat, protein, carbohydrates, salt and fibre using the Eatwell Guide, which outlines recommendations on how to eat a healthy, balanced diet. They found those on the minimally processed diet lost more weight (2.06 per cent) compared to the UPF diet (1.05 per cent loss). The UPF diet also did not result in significant fat loss, the researchers said. Dr Dicken added: 'Though a 2 per cent reduction may not seem very big, that is only over eight weeks and without people trying to actively reduce their intake. 'If we scaled these results up over the course of a year, we'd expect to see a 13 per cent weight reduction in men and a 9 per cent reduction in women on the minimally processed diet, but only a 4 per cent weight reduction in men and 5 per cent in women after the ultra-processed diet. 'Over time this would start to become a big difference.' Those on the trial were also asked to complete questionnaires on food cravings before and after starting the diets. Those eating minimally processed foods had less cravings and were able to resist them better, the study suggests. However, researchers also measured others markers like blood pressure, heart rate, liver function, glucose levels and cholesterol and found no significant negative impacts of the UPF diet. The Eatwell Guide recommends the average woman should consume around 2,000 calories a day, while an average man should consume 2,500. Both diet groups had a calorie deficit, meaning people were eating fewer calories than what they were burning, which helps with weight loss. However, the deficit was higher from minimally processed foods at around 230 calories a day, compared with 120 calories per day from UPFs. Professor Rachel Batterham, senior author of the study from the UCL centre for obesity research, said: 'Despite being widely promoted, less than 1 per cent of the UK population follows all of the recommendations in the Eatwell Guide, and most people stick to fewer than half. 'The best advice to people would be to stick as closely to nutritional guidelines as they can by moderating overall energy intake, limiting intake of salt, sugar and saturated fat, and prioritizing high-fibre foods such as fruits, vegetables, pulses and nuts. Tracy Parker, nutrition lead at the British Heart Foundation, also said: 'The way this study was designed means it is more reflective of real-world conditions than previous research on UPFs. 'The small size of the study is a limitation, and the fact that most participants were women limits how much we can generalize the findings to the general population. 'We also can't be certain how closely the diets were followed, as participants self-reported what they ate during the study. 'Larger, longer-term studies will be needed to see if the greater weight loss on the minimally processed diets seen here translates into bigger improvements in risk factors, including blood pressure and cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and a reduced risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases.


The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
The foods that could be stopping you from losing weight
A study led by experts at University College London (UCL) and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) found that avoiding ultra-processed foods (UPFs), like pre-packaged sandwiches and protein bars, can lead to significantly greater weight and fat loss. Participants on a minimally processed diet lost twice as much weight (2.06 per cent) compared to those on a UPF diet (1.05 per cent) over an eight-week period. The research indicated that individuals consuming minimally processed foods spontaneously ate fewer calories and experienced fewer food cravings. Experts noted that UPFs, being hyperpalatable, can lead to increased calorie intake and reduced satiety, affecting eating behaviour. The study advises choosing less processed options and cooking from scratch for improved body weight, composition, and overall health.


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
I'm a 54-year-old beauty expert. This is EXACTLY what stylish women are doing this summer to make their pedicures last a month: HANNAH BETTS
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more Whether you're on hols or not this August, you'll be giving thought to your feet. For, in midlife and beyond, things can start to feel less 'ready, pedi, go' and more a constant state of collapse, whether in the form of one's arches, parched heels, or blisters brought on by the summer swelter.