Cancer Research UK have joined 46 other cancer charities to create One Cancer Voice. Their aim is to speak out about the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on cancer services, and to urge the UK Government and the NHS to take action to tackle the immense backlog of cancer cases that now exists. Cancer Research UK states that more than 40,000 people across the UK should have started cancer treatment in 2020 but didn’t and may not even know that they are living with the disease. Every day that these people go undiagnosed delays life-saving treatment.

Sadly, delaying seeing your doctor about cancer symptoms due to the ongoing pandemic is not uncommon. Former Girls Aloud bandmate, Sarah Harding, was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. Speaking to The Times, she admitted that due to the pandemic, she had put off going to her doctor when she first experienced symptoms of the disease. Regrettably, she was diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer, which she has said has now spread to other parts of her body. She has also revealed that Doctors have told her she won’t see another Christmas, highlighting the devastating effect of late-stage diagnosis.

Once Cancer Voice estimates that millions of people have had their cancer care affected in some way by the pandemic. We join them in urging the Government to take more decisive action to tackle cancer, an existing health crisis which is emerging as a hidden cost of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Find out more about our commitment to fighting cancer by visiting our diagnostics page. Our innovative PanTum Detect blood test is also available at the Centre for Health and Human Performance, 76 Harley Street, Marylebone, London W1G 7HH.

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