Experts warn radiotherapy and other treatment services could face pressure due to targets

Labour has pledged that all women suspected of having breast cancer should see a consultant within two weeks of a referral by their GP.

The existing target for women deemed to be at high risk of cancer to be seen within two weeks is to be extended to all suspected cases.

Breast cancer campaigners welcomed the new pledge, saying the existing system meant up to 10,000 women a year who were eventually diagnosed with the disease were sent for routine, rather than urgent appointments.

Although the same pledge has been made in relation to bowel cancer, it is the breast cancer target which has received most attention.

You could be quite cynical and say this is part of a political strategy to target women JDr Richard Sullivan, Cancer Research UK

Prostate cancer campaigners say they are disappointed the needs of men with the disease have not been highlighted during the campaign.

John Neate, chief executive of the Prostate Cancer Charity said it was accepted that there were ambiguities in relation to the detection and treatment of the disease.

For example, the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test is currently used to indicate if a man is at risk of prostate cancer.

However, some men with prostate cancer do not have a raised PSA and some men with a raised PSA do not have prostate cancer.

But he said government should put more funding into research so that the answers to these questions could be found.

"We want to see similar commitments in relation to other types of cancer, including prostate."

The Conservatives said lung and prostate cancers should also have been targeted, while the Liberal Democrats said patients wanted a service that provided the "right result first time, followed by the right treatment" for cancer patients.

'Number one priority'

Dr Richard Sullivan, of Cancer Research UK, said there was no reason why suspected breast and bowel cancer cases should be seen within two weeks, and others should not.

He said: "If you've got a suspected case of cancer, whether it be breast, prostate, lung or ovarian, you want to be referred.

"You could be quite cynical and say this is part of a political strategy to target women. All suspected cancers should be urgently referred.

"And if it's a choice between referring people quickly, and putting money into treating people, treating people should be the priority."

But Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of Breakthrough Breast Cancer called the pledge "light at the end of the tunnel" for women who might have breast cancer.

"Breast cancer is the number one health priority of women, and it affects their families, their parents and their children."

The charity said the new target was achievable and would mean women who did have cancer, and the "worried well" would be given a diagnosis more quickly.

Delays

He accepted that breast cancer was ahead of other cancers in terms of referral and treatment programmes.

"We have to start somewhere. By highlighting programmes like this for breast cancer, the NHS might learn from that."

He added: "I'm sure that in an election campaign, all parties are looking at making announcements that curry favour with the electorate.

"What we want to ensure is that there will be long-term benefits for women's health will be enshrined.

"And we would want this target to be implemented by whatever party is in power."

Dr Sullivan said there was also a concern that the health service would not be able to cope with the numbers of patients who would need diagnostic tests and treatment if all suspected breast cancer and bowel cancer were referred.

"For example, patients would need to have endoscopies to see if they did have bowel cancer."

He added: "The Royal College of Radiologists recently reported that delays in the delivery if radiotherapy had gone up massively over the last five years.

"If you're going to have these two week targets, you have to ensure that there is the capacity in secondary care. You've got to rest of the system in place."