More than half of all cancer deaths in the UK are from rare and less common cancers. Despite this, these cancers remain severely under represented and under-funded across all areas, including policy, services and research. Cancer52 is an alliance of over 100 organisations working to address this inequality and improve outcomes for patients with these highly challenging diseases.

Recently, Cancer52 launched their report ‘Taking action on equalities in rare and less common cancers: Understanding the issues’. All people with cancer must receive the best possible diagnosis, treatment and care, no matter who they are or where they live.

People with rare and less common cancers can face inequalities in care and outcomes across their cancer journey. They can experience inequalities, due to their sex, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic group or where they live, or the type of cancer that they have. This report highlights the issues faced by people with rare and less common cancers (such as kidney cancer), and makes recommendations for addressing inequalities in awareness, access to research, getting an early diagnosis, receiving treatment, experience of care, and living with and beyond cancer.

Read the “Taking action on equalities in rare and less common cancers: Understanding the issues” report here

Watch the presentations made during the launch of the report in London on 12 November.