World Cancer Day call to take up NHS screening invitations in Lancashire

The call, from the region’s cancer director, coincided with World Cancer Day on Saturday February 4 – which is used to spread the word about the disease and how people can take steps to prevent it.

The latest figures for Lancashire and South Cumbria show that for the year in 2021/22 around a third of people (34 per cent) failed to take up their invitations for breast cancer screening and cervical cancer screening.

In addition to this, 29 per cent of people aged 60 to 74 did not take up their bowel cancer screening.

Dr Neil Smith, a GP and cancer director for Lancashire and South Cumbria, said: “Catching cancer early saves lives.

"In September 2022, 46 per cent of those diagnosed with cancer were already at stage three or four, when it is more difficult to treat.

"Screening plays a crucial part by looking for early signs that could indicate cancer is developing. It helps to spot cancers at an early stage, when treatment is more likely to be successful and chances of survival are much better.

"We need more people to come forward when invited for screening.”

According to the Union for International Cancer Control, which organises World Cancer Day, currently 10 million people die from cancer worldwide every year.

However, more than 40 per cent of cancer-related deaths could be preventable as they are linked to risk factors such as smoking, alcohol use, poor diet and physical inactivity.

For further information about World Cancer Day visit www.worldcancerday.org