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Cancer Research UK have been highlighting the importance of screening and an early diagnosis for cancer.
Screening looks for the early signs of cancer in people without symptoms, helping to detect cancers earlier or even prevent them.
Across the UK there are national screening programmes for bowel, breast and cervical cancer. These screening programmes save thousands of lives every year.
Between 2019 and 2023, these three screening programmes detected almost 90,000 cancers in England.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a screening programme for every type of cancer. So it is important to listen to your body and tell your doctor if something doesn’t look or feel quite right. Recognising changes in your body that aren’t normal for you and acting quickly can make a big difference.
Anthony’s story shows why this matters. After noticing blood in his urine, Anthony visited his doctor and was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Because his cancer was caught at an early stage it gave him the best chance of being treated successfully.
“It’s really important if you notice any differences at all in your body, get it seen to straight away. I did, I’m here 16 years later. Life’s pretty amazing now.”
