Cancer experts taking steps to intervene earlier amid charity warnings
A group called One Cancer Voice is suggesting over 6 million new cancer diagnoses could be made between now and 2040
Cancer experts in Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire are telling us about the steps they're taking to catch the disease earlier.
It follows a group of 60 charities warning the next 15 years could see more than six million new cases of cancer diagnosed, with an estimated 722,000 in the South West alone.
The group, known as One Cancer Voice, is calling for the Government to meet a number of measures such as setting early diagnosis targets and introducing strong prevention policies to ensure England is a world leader in tackling cancer in the coming years.
The Government is developing it's National Cancer Plan, after the Department of Health and Social Care launched a call for evidence the help shape it in February 2025.
The blueprint is expected to be published later this year.
Helen Winter is Clinical Director at Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire (SWAG) Cancer Alliance, and tells us she's confident that things are being put in place to ensure more people survive cancer than ever.
She told us that in the SWAG region they've had a lot of success in earlier lung cancer interventions, thanks to a new screening programme.
Helen added: "We're also doing a project looking at the earlier diagnosis of liver cancer, which is a less common cancer, but we have seen that that is increasing in incidents.
"And we're looking at new ways of trying to find pancreatic cancer early. So we've been working with our GP colleagues to try and identify patients who might be at risk."
Helen said it's crucial cancers are identified early to ensure they're treatable, calling for people to visit screening programmes, or to visit a GP if symptoms are presenting themselves, which will mean people are checked out sooner.
"For many people, they won't actually have cancer, but for those that do, let's get you treated and let's get you on that pathway to recovery as soon as we can," she said.
Helen told us the future of cancer needs to include "wrap around care", which allows people not just to survive cancer, but to thrive after it.