Fighting for a fair chance – Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce

On December 13th, our CEO Julie Harrington met with Health Minister Steve Brine alongside other founding members of the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce. Launched in July this year Guts UK joined forces with The Brain Tumour Charity, Pancreatic Cancer UK, The British Liver Trust and Action Against Heartburn to raise awareness of six types of cancer that have been overlooked and underfunded for many years: lung, liver, brain, pancreatic, oesophageal and stomach.

If you are diagnosed with one of the more survivable cancers, you have an average of 64% chance of surviving for at least 5 years. But if you are diagnosed with a less survivable cancer your chance of surviving 5 years drops to just 14%. The six less survivable cancers represented by the Taskforce together make up 50% of all common cancer deaths. Time to close the gap in survival rates. This radical new partnership wants to give everyone with cancer a fair chance of survival by supporting the following actions:

1. Raise awareness of symptoms

2. Diagnose and treat the less survavable cancers more quickly

3. Raise the number of clinical trials and approved treatments

4. Set survival targets with Government

5. Increas investment in research.

Add your voice to this cause by signing up at www.lesssurvivablecancers.org.uk