John Baron MP hosts and speaks at Beating Bowel Cancer Parliamentary reception

John and Mark Flannagan ‘lifting the lid’ on bowel cancer

MP and Chief Executive ‘lift the lid’ on bowel cancer

In his capacity as Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer [APPGC], John Baron MP hosted a Westminster reception yesterday evening on behalf of the charity Beating Bowel Cancer to help raise awareness of the disease. At the reception, guests heard about Beating Bowel Cancer’s action plan and the steps needed to significantly improve awareness, diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer with over 100 people being diagnosed with the condition every day. The APPGC has long campaigned about the need to promote earlier diagnosis to improve survival rates, and has been successful in getting Government to introduce measures to this end.

John said:

“We have long campaigned about the need to promote earlier diagnosis – which is cancer’s magic key. The Government has listened. We all know that late diagnosis makes for poor survival rates, which is why the monitoring of one and five year survival rates at a local level will encourage underperforming parts of the NHS to raise their game and introduce initiatives to promote earlier diagnosis.”

“There needs to be a continued focus on bowel cancer as it’s such an important health issue. That’s why we are ‘lifting the lid’ on bowel cancer to help raise awareness in my constituency. Knowing the symptoms and getting help early is vital which is why the monitoring of, and accountability for, the local NHS’ survival rates is crucially important.”

Mark Flannagan, Chief Executive of the charity Beating Bowel Cancer, said:

“If you diagnose bowel cancer early and treat it, the vast majority of people can be cured. Over 90% of people diagnosed with stage one bowel cancer will be alive five years later. Improving bowel cancer outcomes are everyone’s responsibility and at Beating Bowel Cancer, we are determined to play our part.

“We need to ensure that bowel cancer is kept high on the political agenda because we know we can save lives. By working together, we have the chance to make bowel cancer a rare cancer killer instead of a common cancer killer within the life of the next government.”

Notes to Editors:

To find out more about bowel cancer please visit the charity’s website www.beatingbowelcancer.org or call their helpline on 08450 719 301.