Cancer Research UK : MPs spread the word that Screening Matters

MPs spread the word that Screening Matters

Transcript

Nicholas Owen, BBC broadcaster and cancer survivor

My name is Nicholas Owen. I am absolutely delighted to support this campaign, led by Cancer Research UK in conjunction with a lot of other charities, to make sure that the message gets across that screening matters.

Professor Jane Wardle, Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Centre

Screening is the number one protective behaviour that people can do now to reduce their risk of dying from cancer.

Donata Fernandes, cancer survivor

I got a call for a mammogram, which I did attend. Though I was keeping in good health I wondered what was the idea of going to it. But all the same I went to it and I was very lucky that the mammography turned out to detect a very early stage cancer.

Professor Mike Richards CBE, National Cancer Director

Screening matters quite simply because it saves lives. We have got very good evidence that screening for breast cancer, cervical cancer and bowel cancer all save lives. And what’s more we know that in this country we have some of the best screening services anywhere in the world.

Harpal Kumar, Chief Executive, Cancer Research UK

As things stand today we only have screening programmes that are cost effective in three different types of cancer. They happen to be some of the more common cancers so obviously that’s very valuable. But there is work going on all the time to develop tests that might be useful as screening methodologies for other types of cancer as well.

John Leech, Liberal Democrat MP for Manchester Withington

Because it simply saves lives and will save more lives if we can encourage more people to take part in screening. I’ve got people who I know personally who have either been diagnosed early and therefore survived, and I know people and family members who have died as a result of not being screened sooner.

Donata Fernandes, cancer survivor

I was very shocked. I was confused, but my husband told me I’m in the best place, that’s the UK, which has got so much research into breast cancer. The doctors, nurses, my GP, everyone told me, you should be here. I underwent the operation, I got medication, and today I’m back at work. I’m doing very well, very happy with myself, settling in at the age of 55.

Professor Mike Richards CBE, National Cancer Director

What we really want to see is the maximum number of patients taking up the opportunity of screening. So that if it’s for breast cancer women between the ages of 50 and 70 should go for screening, cervical cancer from 25 to 65, and now for bowel screening people in their 60s. *

Harpal Kumar, Chief Executive, Cancer Research UK

The message is if and when you are invited to go along for screening, do so.

Julie Kirkbride, Conservative MP for Bromsgrove

I think that any advertisements that can be made MPs like me can put it on their website, we can advertise it in our surgeries. We can talk about it in the House of Commons, we can try and get newspapers more interested.

Ian Gibson, Labour MP for Norwich North and Chair of the APPG on Cancer

We can be annoying in annoying places for Government. We can raise it in debates, we can go out on the streets and talk to people. We can help charities and other groups really get active.

Kevin Barron, Labour MP for Rother Valley

That is what a MP’s job is by and large, is to lobby their local PCT to make sure their constituents are getting the best potential care that the NHS provides.

Professor Jane Wardle, Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Centre

What our research suggests is that people are a little bit frightened of it, sometimes they don’t know fully what is involved, or don’t see the benefit for them. But a lot of people are intending to, and what we need to do is get them to translate their intentions into actions.

Nicholas Owen, BBC broadcaster and cancer survivor

We do have a superb system in this country and there’s actually no shortage of funds, surprisingly enough, but we need to reach out to people to explain to many more people that they should go along for screening, and ensure there’s proper coverage and the same coverage right across England. It can be done, MPs can play their part, everybody can play their part, because if you catch cancer early enough you can do something about it.

Donata Fernandes, cancer survivor (voiceover)

If it wasn’t for screening I would have never known, the cancer in me would have just grown to a stage that maybe there would be no comeback from there. I would just have to live with it and maybe get along with however many days I had left.

* These are the current cancer screening rounds for England. From 2008 onwards the NHS Breast Screening Programme will be extended to women from 47 to 73 years. From 2010 the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening programme will be extended to men and women aged 70-75 years old.