Yesterday, we honoured World Cancer Day (4 February) by meeting MPs and urging them to turn ambition into action. Our call comes on the day the Government launched its National Cancer Plan, setting out a renewed commitment to improving cancer survival rates and an ambition to ensure that three in four people diagnosed with cancer live longer, healthier lives.
We spoke to to dozens of MPs at a parliamentary drop-in yesterday (Wednesday, 4 February), hosted by Will Forster MP, following the launch of the National Cancer Plan. We told them about the practical actions which are needed to build on the Government’s plans, particularly in breast cancer, where early detection dramatically increases survival.
Walk the Walk team with Will Forster MP
We welcome the Government’s recognition in the National Cancer Plan of the vital role that early diagnosis, improved screening pathways and prevention will play in achieving its cancer targets. However, we’re urging Ministers and MPs to go further and faster to ensure that these ambitions translate into real-world impact for patients.
Will Forster MP said:
I was pleased to host Woking-based cancer charity Walk the Walk in Parliament on World Cancer Day. Their work and ambition to cut cancer risk is phenomenal. To widen access to mammograms and breast screening, to update cancer prevention education in schools, and to encourage walking for cancer prevention and recovery, are all simple yet effective steps we can do to ensure we save more lives. 1 in 2 people will get cancer in their life. Let’s change that.
As a leading UK cancer charity, we strongly welcome the Government’s renewed focus on cancer survival and prevention. The ambition is right, but it must be matched by action. In breast cancer especially, earlier diagnosis saves lives, yet too many people are still being diagnosed too late.
We are calling on MPs to take practical, achievable steps that will strengthen screening, empower people with better prevention education, and harness the power of walking as part of cancer prevention and recovery.
Left to right: Our Founder Nina Barough CBE with Dr. Beccy Cooper MP, Clive Jones MP & Freddie Van Mierlo MP
Our policy asks
We’re calling for three key policy actions that would directly support the Government’s cancer ambitions and improve outcomes for patients:
- Widen access to mammograms
-Lower the starting age for routine mammograms to at least 40. Each year in the UK, around 7,600 women in their 40s are diagnosed with breast cancer, and earlier screening could save more lives.
-Ensure people over the age of 71 are clearly informed that they can still access breast screening on request.
-Empower primary care teams to proactively promote breast self-checking as part of routine health conversations.
- Update cancer prevention education in schools
We want to see modern, evidence-based cancer prevention messages embedded and made mandatory within the school curriculum, helping young people build lifelong habits that reduce cancer risk.
- Accelerate walking as a recognised tool for cancer prevention and recovery
Physical activity, particularly walking, is one of the most accessible and effective ways to reduce cancer risk and support recovery. We’re calling for stronger national investment and clearer guidance to ensure walking is embedded across cancer care pathways.
Our Founder Nina Barough CBE concluded:
All the MP’s who attended Walk the Walk’s drop-in event on World Cancer Day were so supportive of our missions and understood why we were there. Our proposals really hit a note. We are asking for some really quite small changes to be made, but the effects they will have could be really quite powerful. I’m excited about what happens next.
By strengthening screening access, equipping young people with preventative knowledge, and recognising walking as a powerful health intervention, the UK can make meaningful progress towards long-term cancer survival for more people. We stand ready to work with MPs and the Government to help make this happen.
If you’d like to support us in achieving our missions, sign up for the Moonwalk London in May