Cancer Reform Strategy - NHS Cancer Screening Programmes

50 CANCER REFORM STRATEGYoral cancer and skin cancer, following the adviceof the vision groups on these cancers. We willalso monitor the emergence of potential newdiagnostic markers as possible screeningtechnologies of the future. High qualityproposals for further research into biomarkerswill be encouraged.Raising public awareness ofcancer symptoms andencouraging people to seekhelp early3.42 While enhancing the screeningprogrammes will aid earlier diagnosis, this is onlypart of the action needed. We need to do moreto raise public awareness of the signs andsymptoms of early cancer and encourage peopleto seek help sooner.3.43 Reviews and original researchcommissioned by the Department of Health andothers have identified several factors which areassociated with longer delay by patients inseeking help. These include:●●●●●Failing to recognise that symptoms wereserious or could be due to cancer;Social deprivation;Older age (especially for breast cancer);Atypical presentations; andBlack and minority ethnic groups (forexample, with mouth cancer).3.44 While some good work to raise cancersymptom awareness and encourage earlypresentation is already underway, we needto do more to provide coordinated supportto local health services to deliver effectiveinterventions. We will therefore establish anew National Awareness and EarlyDiagnosis Initiative. Led by the NationalCancer Director, this initiative will bringtogether the NHS, representatives of LocalAuthorities, the Department of Health, theNCRI and the research community, cancercharities and patients to coordinate aprogramme of activity to support localinterventions to increase cancer symptomawareness and encourage earlierpresentation. This activity will include:●●●Developing measurement tools forsymptom awareness;Developing and testing newinterventions to raise awareness; andSupporting the rollout and evaluation oflocal pilots of validated interventionsand disseminating information aboutbest practice.Measuring symptom awareness3.45 Much of the existing information availableon levels of cancer symptom awareness ispiecemeal and tends to provide snapshots ratherthan an in-depth insight into nationwide levelsof awareness and help-seeking behaviour.3.46 We therefore need to establish the level ofknowledge of cancer symptoms in the generalpopulation and track what interventions have animpact on this. As discussed in chapter 2,Cancer Research UK is developing amodular assessment tool to assess levelsof awareness of cancer risk factors andsymptoms. This will enable change overtime to be monitored and the impact ofinterventions to be evaluated.3.47 Once the tool has been developed andvalidated, the Department of Health willuse the tool to conduct regular nationalsurveys of cancer symptom awareness.PCTs and Cancer Networks can then use thisinformation to benchmark their performanceagainst the national picture.3.48 Given the evidence that late diagnosisis a particular problem in this country 23 andespecially amongst deprived and BMEgroups, PCTs should give appropriatepriority to local initiatives to promote earlypresentation by people with symptoms ofpossible cancer and will wish to monitortheir progress in this area. To do this, theywill be able to use the symptom awarenessassessment tool at a local level to assess