Millions of people would not go their GP with possible cancer symptoms, according to new research.
A poll for NHS England of 2,000 adults found that more than two in five wouldn’t visit their GP if they had possible cancer symptoms. The figure is particular high among men, with more than half saying they wouldn’t speak to their doctor, compared with 35% of women.
The survey also found that a quarter of respondents would wait to see if a potential symptom gets better on its own or ignore it and hope it goes away.
With waiting times for NHS cancer treatment at a record high and a predicted 2,000 extra cancer patients a week by 2040, the NHS is failing many of its cancer targets. Recent research calculated that a growing epidemic of preventable cancers will lead to 184,000 people in the UK being diagnosed with the disease this year and will cost the country more than £78bn.
The survey comes as NHS England announced the latest stage of its cancer-awareness bus campaign. From Monday, an NHS doubledecker bus will tour Grimsby, Coventry, Nottingham, Basildon and Portsmouth – all places where early diagnosis rates for cancer are among the lowest – to highlight the signs and symptoms of cancer and urge people to visit their GP for potentially life-saving checks if they notice something unusual. It follows a similar cancer awareness bus tour in February.
Dame Cally Palmer, NHS England’s national cancer director, said: “The NHS is determined to catch even more cancers at an early stage, because we know the earlier people are diagnosed, the more likely treatment is to be successful. So don’t carry the worry of cancer with you, if something in your body doesn’t feel right, please come forward.”
Responding to the findings, Martin Ledwick, Cancer Research UK’s head information nurse, said he was concerned so many people would not go to their GP with possible signs of cancer.
“There are over 200 types of cancer with lots of different possible symptoms. If you notice something that isn’t normal for you or isn’t going away, it’s important to speak to your doctor. It probably won’t be cancer. But if it is, spotting it early can make a real difference.”
