Oral cancer diagnosis and treatment statistics

'14-day / Two-week wait'

England meets the standard for their country on the percentage of patients first seen by a specialist within two weeks of urgent GP referral for suspected cancer.[1]

'Two-week wait' supports early diagnosis as spotting cancer early is important for improving survival, so it is important that patients with potential cancer symptoms are referred promptly.

'31-day wait'

Scotland and Northern Ireland meet the standard for their country on the percentage of patients that receive their first cancer treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat, while Wales does not meet the standard for their country.[2-4]

The speed at which patients receive their first treatment can have a positive outcome on their clinical outcome, so it is important that patients with cancer symptoms are treated promptly.

'62-day wait'

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland do not meet the standard for their country on the percentage of patients receiving their first definitive treatment for cancer within two months of a GP referral for suspected cancer.[2-4]

The speed at which patients receive their first treatment can have a positive outcome on their clinical outcome, so it is important that patients with cancer symptoms are treated promptly.

Cancer waiting times coding and standards are different in each country and so comparisons should not be made between countries, only each country against their own measures.

Head and Neck Cancers, Waiting Times, UK countries, 2014-15

Between around a third (32%) and three-fifths (60%)  of head and neck cancer patients receive a major surgical resection as part of their cancer treatment.[1] The proportion of patients receiving a major surgical resection as part of their cancer treatment varies by head and neck cancer subtype: 60% in oral cavity cancer, 55% in salivary glands cancer, 37% in laryngeal cancer, 35% oropharyngeal cancer and 32% in hypopharyngeal cancer. 

The proportion of head and neck cancer patients receiving a resection varies with age for all head and neck cancer subtypes, with fewer resections in the oldest age group (8-35% in those aged 85+) compared with the youngest (36-68% in those aged 15-54).

Head and Neck Cancer Subtypes, Proportion of Patients Receiving a Major Surgical Resection, by Age, England, 2006-2010

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90-92% of head and neck cancer patients rate their care as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’.[1] Patient experience varies with individual needs and concerns, which are influenced by many aspects of personal background, disease characteristics and the care environment.

83-85% of patients were given the name of a Clinical Nurse Specialist in charge of their care.[1] Being given the name of a Clinical Nurse Specialist in charge of a patients’ care is the factor most likely to be associated with high patient satisfaction scores.[2]

50-59% said they saw their GP once or twice before being told they had to go to hospital.[1] How often a patient sees their GP before being referred to hospital varies by cancer type depending on ease of diagnosis.[3]

For oral cancer the proportion of patients that said they saw their GP once or twice before being told they had to go to hospital is similar to the average for all cancer patients, for laryngeal cancer the proportion is lower than the average for all cancer patients.[1]

Spotting cancer early is important for improving survival so it is important that patients with potential cancer symptoms are referred for tests promptly.

Oral Cancer (C00-C06,C09-C10,C12-C14), Patient Experience Survey, by Sex, England, 2014

Laryngeal cancer (C32), Patient Experience Survey, by Sex, England, 2014