Along with over 20 other charities from across the cancer sector, the British Liver Trust is today releasing a manifesto calling on the next Government to improve research, diagnosis, treatment and care.
‘One Cancer Voice: A manifesto for people living with cancer’ calls for the next Government to improve the lives of cancer patients by:
- Diagnosing cancer earlier
- Supporting people living with cancer beyond their treatment
- Preventing people from developing cancer
- Ensuring people living with cancer have access to the appropriate treatment and psychological support
- Preserving the UK’s status as a world-leader in cancer research
- Putting the right staff in place
The British Liver Trust was delighted to contribute to this cross-cancer sector document and strongly supports all of its recommendations.
We are especially pleased to see that One Cancer Voice has a focus on prevention. New data released by Cancer Research UK and National Cancer Research Institute has revealed that liver cancer death rates have soared by around 50% in the last decade and have tripled since records began. However, nine in 10 cases of liver disease, which can lead to liver cancer, are preventable.
Policies are required to address the three preventable causes – excess alcohol consumption, obesity and viral hepatitis and crucially to ensure early detection of disease.
Pamela Healy, chief executive at the British Liver Trust, says: “Our helpline receives many calls from people who have been diagnosed with liver cancer, where the primary cause is liver disease, but this has never been picked up.
“We urge people across the UK to find out more about the risks and symptoms of liver cancer. It is also essential that GPs and other healthcare professionals to keep the risk factors and warning signs at the front of their mind so people are referred for specialists test and diagnosed quickly.”
We are also pleased to see the focus on patient care after treatment in One Cancer Voice. Currently only 12% of people diagnosed with primary liver cancer survive for more than five years.
