MP Commits to Beating Cancer

Bowel cancer is the second biggest cause of cancer deaths in the UK yet bowel cancer is beatable if it is diagnosed at an early stage. A recent analysis by the National Cancer Intelligence Network found that 93.25 of patients diagnosed with early stage bowel cancer will survive five years from diagnosis compared to just 6.6% of patients diagnosed at a much later stage.

In Teignbridge people are served by the Southern bowel cancer screening hub which began in September 2006 and by October 2009 had detected 763 cancers, representing 19.2% of all cancers found nationally.

Teign MP Richard Younger-Ross has backed efforts to beat cancer when he attended a Beating Bowel Cancer reception at Westminster last week. He said ""One in three people can expect a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. Outcomes for people with cancer are improving but they could be better. I'm proud of the world-class charitable medical research we undertake in the UK but more still needs to be done to prevent, detect and treat cancer."

"Clearly screening has a major role to play in improving outcomes and I support Cancer Research UK's campaign to make the UK's cancer outcomes among the best in Europe. This would have a significant, positive impact on the people of Teignbridge and I will continue to support measures that will help us to reach this goal."

Mr Younger-Ross added, "If, in the next three years, the Southern screening hub meets Beating Bowel Cancer's target to bring screening participation up to 77% (from its current rate of 57.2%) then a massive 773,583 people will have participated. 1,633 cancers will have been detected and mortality could be reduced by 8%."

Aisling Burnand, Executive Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Cancer Research UK said: "We are very grateful to Mr Younger-Ross for supporting our campaign. Ten-year survival rates have doubled over the last thirty years and our work has been at the heart of that progress. Our five year survival rates, however, still lag behind the best performing countries in Europe (such as Sweden, Norway and Finland)."

"There are challenges ahead, and it is vital that action is taken to detect cancer earlier, provide world class treatment, prevent more cancers, tackle cancer inequalities and protect the UK's research base. We must maintain momentum and the Commit To Beat Cancer campaign reflects our supporters' desire to keep up the political pressure."

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Laura McCann, Cancer Research UK Public Affairs Officer, on 020 7061 8499 laura.mcann@cancer.org.uk

Notes to Editors: Cancer Research UK is calling on politicians to join us in helping to make the UK's cancer outcomes among the best in Europe in the next 10 years.

We want to see concerted action from Government in the following five areas:

Detecting cancer earlier

Providing world class treatment

Preventing more cancers

Tackling cancer inequalities

Protecting the UK's research base

For more information please visit the Cancer Campaigns website: www.CommitToBeatCancer.org

Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to beat cancer.

Cancer Research UK carries out world-class research to improve understanding of the disease and find out how to prevent, diagnose and treat different kinds of cancer.

Cancer Research UK ensures that its findings are used to improve the lives of all cancer patients.

Cancer Research UK helps people to understand cancer, the progress that is being made and the choices each person can make.

Cancer Research UK works in partnership with others to achieve the greatest impact in the global fight against cancer.

For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 08701 602040 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org