// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Cancer wait times 'dangerously long', says patient
John McClean said waiting for medical outcomes meant he was "constantly on a knife-edge"
A man who has been fighting incurable cancer for seven years has said increased times between scans and results are becoming "dangerously long" for himself and other patients.
John McClean said waiting for medical outcomes meant he was "constantly on a knife-edge". A lack of radiologists in Northern Ireland meant scans had to be sent to Australia to be analysed, leading to further delay, he said.
Campaigners, survivors and experts have gathered at Stormont to call on the executive to make a commitment to reduce the cancer death rate by 15% by 2040.
The Department of Health (DoH) said while cancer waiting times are "not where we want them to be", work is "underway to improve performance".
McClean is backing the manifesto by Cancer Research UK.
The 51-year-old Antrim man was originally diagnosed with skin cancer but later developed tumours in his brain.
McClean has been fighting incurable cancer for seven years
The Longer Better Lives campaign - being launched at Stormont on Tuesday - says the move would prevent around 5,900 cancer deaths between now and 2040.
Among its key recommendations are the urgent tackling of NI's "unacceptably long cancer waiting times", targeted lung screening, extending the age range of the bowel screening programme to 50-74 year olds, and quicker access to tests and scans to detect cancer.