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Black patients and people with a learning disability face longer waiting times at key stages of breast cancer care, according to a nationwide study led by the University of Surrey.

The study of more than 86,000 patients is believed to be the first in the U.K. to measure these delays across the full breast cancer pathway.

Published in Breast Cancer Research, the study found Black patients had 29% lower odds of being diagnosed through routine breast screening than white patients, and 37% higher odds of being diagnosed after arriving at an emergency department or as an emergency. Cancers found in emergencies tend to be at a later stage, which lowers the chance of survival.

Patients with a learning disability waited 18% longer, on average, for a breast cancer diagnosis after presenting to their general practitioner with a symptom. One in four waited 29 days or more for a diagnosis, 10 days longer than the general population.

Once diagnosed, both Black patients and people with a learning disability waited longer to start treatment. Black patients waited around five days longer, on average, than white patients, while patients with a learning disability waited 8% longer than those without.

"Early detection and treatment of breast cancer are crucial for survival, and our study shows that the country currently has a system that is letting down the patients who already face the most barriers.

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