Publish date: 27 October 2023
Cancer survivor Jo Williams is using Breast Cancer Awareness Month to tell people how important it is to have a quick diagnosis.
Jo, a patient representative at Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance, is speaking about how she found a pea-sized lump in her breast and how after a series of tests and scans she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. And she talks about how an early diagnosis of the cancer through the NHS was vital to her recovery.
But individuals need to do their bit, too, by reporting any signs and symptoms of cancer to their GP surgery – and being checked out – as finding cancer at the earliest opportunity is vital to a positive outcome.
Even if you believe you do not have a high risk of breast cancer, it is vital to check yourself regularly. Men can get breast cancer, too – so it is important they also check their chest for signs of the disease.
People in Cheshire and Merseyside are more likely than ever before to have their cancer detected in its earliest stages when there is a better chance of successful treatment, thanks to NHS initiatives, including Cancer Alliance projects raising awareness and diagnosis of the disease.
The sub-region has seen the second biggest improvement nationally in rates of early detection of cancer over the last five years, according to NHS figures. The proportion of cancers detected at stages one and two – before the disease has spread to other areas – rose by 6.8 percentage points from 52.3 per cent in 2018 to 59.1 per cent in 2023 in Cheshire and Merseyside.
Jo, who lives in Merseyside and who works in the NHS, says: “The importance of a fast diagnosis just cannot be underestimated. I believe I would not be here today without that quick turnaround – and getting me straight on to that treatment that I needed.”
Find out more about the signs of breast cancer here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/breast-cancer/symptoms/
Listen to Jo’s story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zc1LwXBlg4