Campaign urges people to come forward for cancer checks

National treasure Stephen Fry is backing an NHS campaign encouraging people with potential cancer symptoms to come forward for lifesaving checks.

In a new film, part of the NHS ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign, supported by Public Health England, cancer survivor Stephen Fry talks about being ‘stunned’ to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018, and says he was lucky it was detected early.

In the video, the actor and comedian reassures people with symptoms that the NHS is keen to see them if they think something is wrong, saying that he knows from ‘personal experience how important catching cancer sooner is to survival’.

Figures show that 51 per cent of people would be put off going to see their doctor if they had symptoms such as tummy troubles for three weeks or blood in their pee due to feeling embarrassed.

Despite abdominal and urological cancers accounting for 44 per cent of all cancer diagnoses and 41 per cent cancer deaths in England, new figures from the NHS show that many people are unaware of common warning signs – which could prevent them seeking help.

Fry said: “A few years ago, I was pretty stunned to be given a diagnosis of cancer in my prostate area – I was very lucky because mine was diagnosed early. All of us can succumb to cancers in the abdominal region but there are symptoms that can be looked for. Self-examination is a pretty useful thing so please, make an appointment with your GP if you notice discomfort in the tummy area or diarrhoea for three weeks or more, or blood in your pee – even just once.”

Dame Cally Palmer, director of the NHS Cancer Programme, said: “We are very grateful to Stephen Fry for helping us to raise awareness of cancer symptoms. We continue to encourage anyone with potential symptoms to make an appointment to see their GP as soon as possible.

“The NHS has made effective use of resources available to us to maintain and recover services and we are back to usual levels for treatment and referrals for cancer, but we know that thousands of people could be risking their lives by delaying medical attention for cancer symptoms – please help us to help you by coming forward for a lifesaving check if you have a worrying sign or symptom.”