Cancer Research UK (CRUK), in partnership with the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the Northern Ireland Cancer Network (NICaN), is launching a new cancer campaign in Northern Ireland. The campaign, set to run in September and October 2022, urges people to take action and contact their GP practice if they notice a change to their health which is unusual for them or isn’t going away.
The ‘Spot Cancer Early’ campaign will be targeted at the over 50s. While cancer can develop at any age, it is much more common in older people; data indicates that almost 9 in 10 cancer cases in the UK are in people aged 50 or over*. It comes as new figures reveal that almost 40 per cent of respondents in a Northern Ireland survey** who experienced possible cancer symptoms during the pandemic did not contact their doctor.
The ‘Spot Cancer Early’ campaign features a powerful TV advert that opens with a man in his 50s who has lost weight and has a cough that won’t go away debating with himself whether he should get his symptoms checked. Eventually he decides to call his GP. It finishes with the vital message, “Changes that are unusual for you, like unexplained weight loss or a persistent cough, could be signs of cancer. Finding it early saves lives. Talk to your GP, not yourself”.
Advertising will also feature on social media, in print publications and on outdoor posters. The campaign will be further supported through Living Well, a community-based pharmacy service delivered by the Public Health Agency, Department of Health and Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland. Throughout September and October, community pharmacies will display posters and Be Cancer Aware leaflets will be available to the public.
For more information on early diagnosis, visit the campaign website: cruk.org/spot-cancer-early-NI
*Based on the average annual number of new cases of cancer (ICD10 C00-C97, excl. C44) in the United Kingdom between 2016 and 2018. There were more than 375,000 cases of cancer (ICD10 C00-C97, excl. C44) diagnosed in the United Kingdom between 2016 and 2018, of which around 337,000 were in those aged 50 and over.
**Cancer Research UK’s Cancer Awareness Measure survey (February 2022). Unpublished findings. Data collected by YouGov Plc.
