HUNDREDS of people in north Cumbria are being diagnosed with cancer only once it reaches a 'deadly stage', figures suggest.

According to NHS data, in 2019, the most recent figures available, at least 357 cases diagnosed by medics in the NHS North Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area had reached an advanced stage at the point of diagnosis.

There were 2,228 cancers diagnosed in north Cumbria in 2019 and stage four diagnoses, which carry the greatest mortality risk, represented 29 percent of those with a valid stage identified.

That was up from the 28 percent recorded the year before.

Dr Jodie Moffat, head of early diagnosis at Cancer Research UK, said reducing the number of people diagnosed with advanced disease was crucial to saving lives and swift action was needed from the Government and NHS.

Dr Moffatt added: "Many factors can impact late diagnoses, and Covid has affected many of these, such as how readily people come forward with symptoms, or how long people need to wait for tests.

"Worryingly, waits for a cancer diagnosis and treatment were struggling well before the pandemic hit.

"Chronic shortages in staff and equipment mean cancer waiting times have been missed for years."

But the CCG and the North Cumbria Integrated Care Trust pointed out that the figures are several years old, and that improvements have been made since then.

A joint spokesperson for NHS North Cumbria CCG and North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We would urge anybody who has noticed any unusual, unexplained symptoms such as a lump or bleeding to contact their GP as quickly as possible, as we know the positive impact early diagnosis can have on treatment and outcomes.

"Since 2019, which this data relates to, we have made a number of improvements to cancer services in north Cumbria including the opening of the Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria last year in Carlisle which is run by Newcastle Hospitals.

“We know that during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic some people delayed seeking medical help but we would continue to encourage anyone concerned about their health to get in touch as soon as possible.”

Across England, tens of thousands of cancer cases reached the most severe stage of illness before being detected across England in 2019, according to NHS data.