DH set focus for early diagnosis campaigns
Jane Allberry, Deputy Director Cancer, Cardiovascular, End of Life Care and Dermatology at the Department for Health, today wrote a letter to the Chief Executives of all PCTs and Cancer Networks.
The letter seeks bids for Department of Health funding to run local pilot campaigns to promote cancer symptom awareness and early presentation to the GP of those with persistent symptoms which could be cancer.
This year, the DH want to trial local activity:
• to achieve earlier diagnosis of people with oesophagogastric cancer, which is the next cancer in terms of the largest number of deaths that could be avoided each year
• about taking action on "blood in urine"- the symptom common to kidney and bladder cancers
• to target women over the age of 70 who might have symptoms of breast cancer, given this is an area where survival rates are particularly poor
All applications to bid must be received by 4 August 2011. The application form is attached to the letter.
You can read the letter here
