Website launched to help catch cancer cases in region

A new website hoping to decrease the number of cancer related deaths has been launched.

“Early Detect, Early Protect” has been created to help healthcare and community professionals start conversations about breast, bowel and cervical cancers.

The website aims to help people make informed choices about screening options and so to save lives.

Cervical cancer is the 14th most common cancer in females in the UK and research from 2015 indicates that 99.8% of cases are preventable. People are unsure what screening involves or miss their routine appointment, increasing the risk that a condition will develop undetected.

Research shows that approximately 30% of people at risk of breast cancer are not attending screenings, along with 40% of those at risk of bowel cancer and 25% of those at risk of cervical cancer in Cheshire and Merseyside.

Each year around 16,000 people are diagnosed with cancer across Cheshire and Merseyside and 7000 are killed. Champs Public Health Collaborative, led by the nine Directors of Public Health and the Cheshire & Merseyside Cancer Alliance, hope to bring those numbers down by promoting relaxed conversations about how screening works.

Tracey Wright, associate director for Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance, said: “Community and healthcare professionals are in a unique position to help inform people in our subregion about their cancer risks and the screening available to them.

‘Catching cancer early saves lives’

“But we understand that starting those conversations isn’t going to be easy for everyone. The new toolkit and website should make sure anyone, regardless of their role, has the resources and confidence to boost the conversation about screening.”

Sarah Johnson-Griffiths, Public Health Consultant at Halton Council, is leading the cancer screening programme. She said: “Catching cancer early saves lives.

“Routine screening is currently offered for breast cancer, bowel cancer and cervical cancer and if we can detect it and start treatment early, it’s more likely to work – and more people will survive.

“For many types of cancer, screening is the only way to identify the early warning signs that cancerous cells may soon develop.

“We know a lot of people can become anxious about screening and would like to reassure those concerned that the earlier we can detect any issues, if there are any at all, the earlier we can protect individuals.”

Featured image © Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Screening