Africans and Caribbeans in the United Kingdom have been urged to put forward their views on Cancer – following the Department of Health and Social Care’s launch of a call for evidence on the ailment.
Government wants to hear from everyone – especially those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are disproportionately impacted by cancer. The consultation seeks to gain views on what more can be done to improve cancer services and people’s experience – whether as a carer, patient or anyone impacted by the disease.
Cancer is the biggest cause of death from disease in the UK but it does not affect everyone equally. Black men, for example, have the highest mortality from prostate cancer and people from Caribbean or Pakistani backgrounds are more likely than white British people to be diagnosed with lung cancer at a later stage, when it is harder to treat.
Statistics also reveal that 25% of black African patients and 22% of black Caribbean patients were diagnosed with breast cancer at a late stage compared to 13% of white British patients.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care - Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP noted that "My father died from cancer and wished he had taken the early signs much more seriously. But unfortunately for him, like so many people from ethnic minority communities, it was detected too late.
"No one should feel ashamed in coming forward to their doctor or going to a cancer screening – this is all about making sure you get the care you need and living a longer and healthier life.
Photo: House of Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) licence
Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP
Rt. Hon. Sajid Javid (MP)
"It is time to declare a national war on cancer, which is the biggest cause of death from disease in this country. It is a menace that has taken far too many people before their time and caused grief and suffering on a massive scale.
"As a country, we have made great progress in recent years; in just the last 15 years, one-year survival has increased by more than 10 percentage points, a remarkable achievement. But despite this progress, I am determined that we will go much further. This is essential if we are to complete the job of recovering cancer services following the pandemic and use the impressive advances in diagnosis and treatments to radically improve outcomes for cancer patients across the UK.
"This call for evidence marks the start of our 10-Year Cancer Plan, a new vision for how we will lead the world in cancer care. We will be taking a long-term look at how we harness innovation and what we want the patient experience to look like in 2032, with ambitious plans for action in several different areas.
"We will be drawing on the latest technologies and the smartest possible use of data. The NHS Galleri trial has given us a glimpse into how technology can transform the way that cancer is detected. As part of this plan, I want us to pursue every possible opportunity to partner with this country’s tech pioneers, who had such a decisive impact during the pandemic, so we can harness and deploy the technologies that offer so much hope.
"This also includes improving the number of people who are diagnosed at an early stage, boosting the cancer workforce, intensifying research on mRNA vaccines for cancer and delivering more personalised care both before and after treatment. If we get this right, not only will we save lives, but we reduce the impact that cancer has on the NHS, by tackling it earlier on.
"As we do this, I will be relentlessly focused on tackling disparities in cancer outcomes, which need addressing with urgency if we’re to succeed in our mission to level up this country.
"Currently, if you are from a more deprived area, there is a greater chance that you will have poorer outcomes. We cannot allow these injustices to stand and I am determined to put this right as we put this plan into action.
"Cancer is a disease that has cast a shadow over so many. One out of every two of us will have cancer at some point in our lives, and many more will have to support someone close to them who has it. This means we want to hear views from far and wide, including cancer patients, their loved ones, and those working in cancer care."
The Department of Health and Social Care encourages people of all backgrounds to put forward their views on cancer here: https://consultations.dhsc.gov.uk/61efb14e3d63df2e64003662