Ambitious new plans set out by the Prime Minister yesterday will, if realised, see around 22,000 fewer people dying from cancer each year by 2033.
The aim is to achieve at least 50,000 people each year diagnosed at an early stage of some specific cancers – including prostate, ovarian, lung or bowel cancer – who may otherwise have been diagnosed at a later and more deadly stage.
The ambitious objectives include using emerging technologies to cross reference people’s genetic data, personal habits and individual medical records with national data in order to better spot those at an early stage of cancer – empowering doctors to make referrals to an oncologist earlier and possibly even ahead of clear symptoms developing.
Initially, these plans will only include prostate, ovarian, lung and bowel cancer. If the project is successful, Brain Tumour Research will campaign to ensure brain tumour patients are included. As our Member Charity brainstrust's activities, and more recently Dame Tessa Jowell's story, have demonstrated, patient data is vital in fighting this devastating disease.