Two-thirds of the public say they are very or somewhat worried about being told they have the disease – higher than for any other medical condition, including dementia and having a heart attack – according to polling released today.
The survey, carried out among 2,000 UK adults by Public First on behalf of the University of Cambridge, highlights the concerns that people have over a cancer diagnosis. It suggests that late diagnosis – too late to treat their cancer – is the biggest concern in relation to a cancer diagnosis (70%) followed by the impact on one’s family and those around them (52%).
When asked which transformative development they would like to see in the future – including eradicating diseases such as malaria, self-driving cars becoming commonplace, and genetically engineered crops enabling us to end famine – 55% of respondents chose “being able to detect and treat cancer early enough so that no-one dies of the disease”. Only eliminating poverty came anywhere close, with 23% of respondents.
The University of Cambridge and its partner Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) are working to build Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital, a revolutionary new type of hospital that promises to change the story of cancer. The specialist cancer facility is bringing world-leading scientists within the walls of a new NHS hospital – for the first time – to detect cancer earlier and deliver personalised healthcare and precision cancer medicine to patients.
