HUNTER cancer patients are waiting up to nine weeks to begin chemotherapy as public services in Newcastle have become overwhelmed by demand.
Patients have described the waiting room at the Calvary Mater Newcastle as "teeming" with people, and said oncology staff are "run off their feet".
Lambton's Catherine Ernst, who was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer in August, expects to start chemotherapy in November after a four week wait.
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She thought the anxiety of having a cancer was enough without worrying about delays in treatment.
"They do say that the longer you wait - particularly when you've got other cancerous cells in other parts of the body - the more chance you have of dying, or having a recurrence," she said.
"It's really hard to wait.
"I just want to start. I want to get it done. I have two kids, and it's hard for them too."
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Mrs Ernst said she was doing all she could to stay healthy. She was eating well, and exercising. Doing everything possible to increase her chances.
"I don't want the hospital to reduce my chances because it's underfunded or under-resourced - which I assume is the cause of the delay," she said.
Mrs Ernst was told that without chemo, there was a 70 per cent survival after five years.
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"With the chemo, it goes up to 84 per cent, approximately," she said. "So it's a 14 per cent increase in survival at five years. The delays are about more than that, though. In my case, there is a 50 per cent chance of recurrence. It's also about how sick you are going to be, and for how long... These things matter."
Mrs Ernst had surgery to remove a 5cm tumour.
"They took out about 15cm of my colon, and all of the surrounding lymph nodes," she said. "When I was referred for oncology, people at the John Hunter told me the Mater was running four weeks behind. They said, 'Fortunately for you, you have had the surgery, so you have to have a compulsory six week recovery period first anyway', but the projected time for the infusion was going to be about a month. There is a lot of anxiety.
"I feel really helpless."
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Another cancer patient told the Newcastle Herald he had opted to "go private" rather than wait.
"When you're told you have cancer, you're pretty much shitting yourself as it is," he said. "To be told, 'We have to start you on chemo as soon as possible, but we can't for five weeks' is pretty gut wrenching. I was lucky I could afford to go private.
"But the costs are up there. We are talking $1000 a month out of pocket, at least."
Wallsend State Member, Sonia Hornery, has called on the Health Minister to "urgently" look into the waiting times. Her office had heard from one patient who had waited about nine weeks to begin chemo - although she said most were waiting between four and six weeks.
"Being diagnosed and then advised your treatment cannot start because of a lack of spaces is causing additional distress at a difficult time for patients," she said.
Do you know more? Email anita.beaumont@newcastleherald.com.au.
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