Do you know how to reduce your risk of developing cancer? Our Cancel Out Cancer campaign has been designed to improve people’s awareness and understanding of cancer, encouraging everyone to take action in improving their health.

Developed with patient members and championed by Macmillan Cancer Support, our campaign aims to get our communities talking about the signs and symptoms of cancer and understand screening options through 60-minute volunteer-led sessions. 

Did you know that cancer screening can save lives by finding cancers at an early stage? 63% of cancers diagnosed through screening are picked up at the earlier stages, where the chance of recovery is higher. You can learn more like this by joining a Cancel Out Cancer session - find out how to, below!

Our NHS volunteers present to community groups, organisations and even individuals who would like their family and friends to learn more about cancer screening, symptoms and prevention. The sessions are interactive and aim to:

• promote cancer prevention - to reduce the risks and help people be proactive with their health 
• raise awareness of cancer screening - the earlier cancer is detected, the more effectively it can be treated
• make people aware of the warning signs and symptoms of cancer.

Interested in joining a free 60-minute session?

On the second Monday of every month at 6pm, out Cancel Out Cancer volunteers host an online presentation over Zoom, open to any member of the public - to sign up, visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/179776956717 or email enhertsccg.engagement@nhs.net. 

To register your interest to join on an alternative date, or enquire about a group session for your local community group or organisation, just email enhertsccg.engagement@nhs.net - our Engagement Team will be able to let you know of any upcoming opportunities to join a session, or work with you to arrange one for your group or organisation.

How successful is the campaign?

Cancel Out Cancer participants are asked to complete anonymous surveys before and after taking part in one of our sessions. This helps quality monitoring for the presentations and helps us compare and contrast our participants' knowledge and awareness going into the session with what they learn.

Across a six-month period, we compared results from 135 respondents, with the following results:

• More than doubling of patients confident about recognising symptoms (33% to 80%).
• 81% of attendees now confident to approach GPs within one week of the symptoms appearing.
• Less than 5% of attendees wouldn’t change their lifestyle to avoid cancer.
• 75% of attendees found the presentation very useful and informative.
• 97% of attendees said they would now take part in future cancer screening.

Here's what some of our attendees have said:

“Very worthwhile, and thank you very much to the enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers, very impressed and appreciate your labour of love!"

"Thank you this was really good and felt much better after."

"Really helpful, good balance to information and facts and prevention tips."

"The session was really informative with very knowledgeable presenters."

"It was an excellent and informative talk and I'm glad I heard it."

"It is a very good session. The length is about right and the pace is good. The presenters were very engaging - it was good to have time throughout to interact and ask questions."

"It would be great to get this message out to everyone!"

Here's what organisations who have hosted sessions have said:

Sarah Ellingworth, Garden City Practice, Welwyn Garden City, said: “We were delighted to host this proactive event for the benefit of our patients. We all know that cancer affects one out of two of us and anything that helps improve awareness has got to be a good thing.”

Luke Donovan, Chair of Irish Network Stevenage, said: "Cancer can be a difficult subject to discuss as it has touched all of our lives in some way, but Mandy and Rosie made the training session informative, we all feel that we can have more open discussions with our members about the importance of them being vigilant about their own care."

Play your part and Cancel Out Cancer

Inspired to do more? You can learn how to deliver a Cancel Out Cancer session - no previous experience is required. Our team provides will provide you with a training session, giving you all the tools and materials to take the awareness sessions out into the community (online for now!).

Meet Rosie and Mandy, two of our Cancel Out Cancer volunteers:

Don't leave it any longer to find out more about Cancel Out Cancer, or to volunteer to deliver sessions to your community - initial training sessions take place on the first Monday of every month at 6pm, and you can sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/192327726407. For any questions, call 01707 685 397 or email enhertsccg.engagement@nhs.net.

Want to just know more for now?

You can download our information leaflet or view the video above of volunteers Rosie and Mandy at one of the face to face sessions held earlier in the campaign. 

If you still have any unanswered questions, drop our Engagement Team a line on enhertsccg.engagement@nhs.net.

Do you use social media?

We launched the campaign in 2019 via facebook Live on World Cancer Day - Check it out. 

If you are interested in staying in the loop with matters discussed within our Cancel Out Cancer sessions, including updates on the Cancel Out Cancer programme, wider work relating to cancer in our local area and interesting articles for consideration, why not join our Facebook page? Find it here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/canceloutcancer.

 

 

Happening elsewhere:

Bowel Cancer UK has launched a symptoms diary for people who are worried about their bowel habits - an idea from Beth Pervis in Bishop's Stortford, which is in our CCG area. Beth believes if she kept a diary of her symptoms, her GP would have taken her seriously and referred her for further testing sooner. Find out more and download the diary.