World Cancer Day: signs and symptoms and ways to cut the risks
At least one in three of us will get cancer, and with an increasing number of cases each year in Northern Ireland, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is using World Cancer Day (4th February) to raise awareness of signs and symptoms of cancer and encourage people to speak to their GP if they experience any of them.
Dr Miriam McCarthy, Consultant in Public Health Medicine at the PHA, said, “Whilst cancer can be a difficult topic to address, we need to talk about it. There are around 9,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed each year in Northern Ireland and only by talking about cancer openly can we improve outcomes.
“For many cancers there are symptoms, and we know that if cancer is diagnosed early, treatment is much more likely to be successful.
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“It is therefore important for everyone to be aware of warning signs which need to be investigated to ensure speedy diagnosis and treatment.”
“If you experience any of these symptoms, speak to your GP. Some of the differences in survival rates in Northern Ireland compared with other countries may be due to patients presenting later to their GPs,” Dr McCarthy continued.
“Northern Ireland also has excellent cancer screening programmes in place to help detect the first signs of cervical, breast and bowel cancer. So in addition to being aware of signs and symptoms at all times, I would encourage everyone to go for screening when it’s offered,” concluded Dr McCarthy.
For more information on Northern Ireland screening programmes visit www.cancerscreening.hscni.net
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