Rotherham Council is marking World Cancer Day 2023 by encouraging residents to get involved in simple cancer prevention actions so that they can take a stand against the disease.
The Council and other health partners across the borough offer a range of services to help residents make positive changes so they can live healthier and happier lives.
These include the Get Healthy Rotherham service which offers advice and guidance for those looking to stop smoking, lose weight or cut their alcohol intake. The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust and Integrated Care Partnership offer a variety of screenings such as breast cancer, bowel and cervical screening services, as well as the HPV vaccination to help with the prevention of cervical cancer.
Rotherham’s Director of Public Health, Ben Anderson, said: “Throughout our lives, cancer will affect each of us in some way, either through personal experience or through friends, family and loved ones. By taking preventative measures and attending regular screening appointments, we can all reduce our risk of cancer, help to detect it sooner and improve the chances of beating the disease when it does arise. There are many small changes we can make to reduce our risk of cancer, including changing our lifestyles to move more or eat more healthily, stopping smoking or use of tobacco products and cutting the amount of alcohol we consume. Support and advice is available so please, make a small change to reduce your risk of cancer.”
According to the Cancer Research, there are around 375,000 new cancer cases in the UK every year, that's around 1,000 every day (2016-2018). 1 in 2 people in the UK who were born after 1960 will be diagnosed with some form of cancer during their lifetime.
Rotherham Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, Cllr David Roche, said: “Cancer is something we don’t talk about enough, even though it is something that can affect everyone. World Cancer Day is a time where we can reflect on the opportunities to reduce our risk of cancer by eating more healthily, cutting down our alcohol intake or by stopping smoking. By doing any of these things, we are giving ourselves the best chance of stopping cancer. It also highlights the importance of going to see your local GP if you have any symptoms of any cancers. I cannot stress enough the importance of early diagnosis and treatment for the disease.”
World Cancer Day is an international awareness day of cancer symptoms, types and treatments. It takes place on 4 February each year. This year’s theme is ‘Close the Care Gap’ which aims to highlight uniting peoples’ voices and taking action. Further information about World Cancer Day is available at www.worldcancerday.org.
Find out more about the services and support available by searching for Get Healthy Rotherham online at www.gethealthyrotherham.co.uk.