16/09/2011

Gov Announces £8.5M Cancer Awareness Campaign

The Government has announced a £8.5 million campaign to increase awareness of bowel cancer, Health Minister Paul Burstow announced today.

The ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ bowel cancer awareness will launch nationally in January and, according to the Government press release, will feature ads with "real GPs encouraging patients to talk to them about changes in their poo".

They aim is to make people aware of the early signs of bowel cancer and make it easier for them to discuss this with their GP.

Results from regional pilots in the South West and East of England, found there was a 48% increase in the number of people who visited their GPs with symptoms, while there was a 32% increase in urgent referrals to hospitals over six months, which included the period the campaign ran.

The Department of Health is also launching a regional campaign to highlight the signs and symptoms of lung cancer across the East and West Midlands. From October, local TV and radio ads will show that people with a persistent cough for more than three weeks should visit their GP.

Lung Cancer is the UK’s biggest cancer killer claiming over 28,000 lives a year. One thousand three hundred lives could be saved each year if England matched the best survival cancer rates in Europe, according to the Department of Health.

Launching the campaign on Friday, Paul Burstow said: “No one likes thinking about cancer, or talking about their poo. But the plain fact is no one dies of embarrassment, they can die of cancer if they don’t get an early diagnosis. Tell your GP. It could save your life.

“Early diagnosis makes a huge difference to your chance of survival. Results from our regional bowel cancer campaign shows campaigns really work to raise awareness and get people to their GPs."

The campaign programme is part of a drive to improve cancer services and outcomes. These include extending the screening age to 75, introduction of flexible sigmoidoscopy screening at 55, promoting laparoscopic colorectal surgery, a training programme for lower rectal surgery and an enhanced recovery programme.

(DW/GK)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

12 September 2011
Bowel Cancer Death Rates Must Not Be Ignored Warns Charity
Figures issued today by Beating Bowel Cancer reveal that bowel cancer death rates vary significantly across the UK, depending on where you live. These latest statistics released by the charity show that there is a three-fold variation in bowel cancer death rates between the best and worst performing areas across the UK.
24 July 2007
Cancer test kit 'could lead to 20,000 fewer deaths'
Deaths from bowel cancer could be dramatically reduced if people use a self-testing kit being sent to people in their sixties throughout the country, a cancer charity has predicted.
16 April 2012
Celebs Support Early Detection Drive
Sharon Osbourne and football legends Kenny Dalglish and Sir Alex Ferguson are among the celebrities backing a drive to increase the early detection of cancer.
02 August 2005
Bowel cancer home test kit scheme announced
The government has announced plans to offer home testing kits for bowel cancer to people in their sixties in England. Under the new scheme, a £37.5 million national bowel cancer screening programme will be phased in from April 2006, giving men and women in their sixties the opportunity to be screened for the disease every two years.
22 September 2010
'Early Alert' Sounded Over Cancer
A new campaign that will alert people to the early signs of cancer and encourage them to get checked out will be launched in January next year. Care Services Minister Paul Burstow announced yesterday that the campaign would consist of 59 local campaigns focussing on the three big killers - breast, bowel and lung cancer.