The damage the pandemic has caused to cancer care is worrying says PROFESSOR KAROL SIKORA

His wife had her chemotherapy disrupted because of the virus. Sadly, her condition has worsened and treatment is now not working as it should. They have four young children.

Cancer is a relentless disease, and it’s tragic but in many occasions there is little that can be done. This story is not one of those. Having the disease is torturous even in normal times. I just can’t imagine what people are having to go through now. The delays, the waiting, the cancellations. It just isn’t right.

This has been going on for six months now. Every case is different, but usually a delay of weeks rather than months won’t normally make a huge difference.

If this continues till next March, as we’ve been threatened with, the damage will be astonishing.

I’ve been in medicine for half a century and have treated cancer patients for the vast majority of them. I have never been as worried about the state of cancer care in this country as I am now.

In his address, why didn’t the PM encourage people to seek medical help if they were worried they might have symptoms? It was a missed opportunity.

If you or someone close to you is worried about any persistent or progressive symptom, the only solution is to seek medical help from NHS 111 or your GP.

The system is there for you, however daunting it feels.

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