CancerCare’s Early Diagnosis Campaign



CancerCare’s Early Diagnosis Campaign is a 12-month long initiative that aims to promote better outcomes from early cancer detection. By collating research and lived experience stories from those who have received a cancer diagnosis, we hope to encourage people to come forward and seek medical advice and support when they notice something isn’t quite right.

Early detection is key to improving survival rates, as cancer, when caught early, doesn’t have to be a death sentence. This campaign is co-produced, drawing on the expertise of healthcare professionals and individuals with lived experiences of receiving a cancer diagnosis. Together, we aim to spark crucial conversations about early diagnosis and reduce the stigma surrounding cancer.


What are our aims?

Our main goal is to increase the number of cancer diagnoses made at stages one and two, when treatment is most effective. To do this, we’re collecting personal stories from individuals diagnosed at earlier stages, as well as from those diagnosed at later stages, to ensure a balanced view of experiences.

Delving deeper, we aim to find out the most common trends when it comes to patient barriers to early diagnosis. We want to find out exactly why some individuals aren’t diagnosed with cancer until the later stages, and if this is due to a lack of access to screening opportunities, or if they are unaware of any cancer-related symptoms that may have presented.

If cancer screening programmes are available, we hope to discover why a patient might be reluctant or unable to take up these opportunities. We hope to find out if cultural and social factors might be a barrier to early diagnosis, too, and is certain groups are less likely to have access to cancer screening opportunities.

The Early Diagnosis Campaign aims to reduce the taboos surrounding the topic of cancer. Talking about cancer can be uncomfortable and difficult, but by doing so we can break down stigmas while encouraging open conversation. We will provide additional resources and support to those who work in the cancer and wider health care settings. By arming GPs and other health care professionals with this material, we hope early diagnosis will become more commonplace. If a patient presents with symptoms of possible cancer, screening and testing will be offered at this earlier stage.

What have we been up to so far?

CancerCare’s Early Diagnosis Campaign is in full swing, and we are currently in the process of collating lived experience stories and research on the screening opportunities and programmes currently available.

The project is led by the CancerCare team with assistance and support from community advocates. These individuals are using their own experience of a cancer diagnosis to conduct community-based conversations, allowing us to collect authentic experiences of getting a cancer diagnosis. Our advocates have received training, and they are currently working out in the community.

Regular steering groups are being held with a range of individuals each with a unique and diverse experience, from those who have first-hand experience of a cancer diagnosis, to those who work with cancer patients either as a nurse or doctor. We have been consulting with our local communities to understand the barriers people have experienced when accessing testing and diagnosis.

And what’s next?

We will share the information we have gathered in a range of settings, including to health professionals, to raise awareness of people's experiences of the challenges and barriers experienced when accessing testing.

We will create a range of communications to encourage more people to seek medical support earlier if they are concerned about changes or a decline in their health. We will encourage more conversations about cancer within communities while promoting the benefits of getting an early diagnosis.

We want to understand and share information about current research into cancer and cancer testing, improvements in testing and uptakes of screening. We want to understand who is not engaging with healthcare services and why and promote our campaign findings directly to them.

You can still get involved...

We are still looking for people to support the campaign by sharing their experiences of receiving a cancer diagnosis. We’re looking for people who have received a cancer diagnosis either recently or in the past to share their experiences. All stories shared with us, positive or negative, will be kept anonymous. If you have any questions about what the process may entail or would like to send us your story to include in the campaign, please use the contact details below.

Email: early.diagnosis@cancercare.org.uk