Cancer Research: ‘Advert helped early diagnosis’
pharmafile | December 10, 2013 | News story | Medical Communications, Sales and Marketing | Cancer, be clear, cough, government
A TV campaign urging people with a persistent cough to visit their doctor has led to hundreds of people receiving an early diagnosis of lung cancer, according to a leading cancer charity.
Public Health England’s Be Clear On Cancer campaign, which ran in May and June last year, aimed to raise public awareness of the symptoms of cancer and encourage people to see their GP earlier.
After examining the figures, Cancer Research UK said the adverts led to 10% more people (around 700) than in the same months in 2011 being diagnosed with lung cancer – 400 or so of them at an early stage.
There was also a ‘significant’ decrease in the proportion of people diagnosed at a late stage, and around 300 more patients got surgery which could lead to their prolonged survival.
Sean Duffy, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said hundreds of people have received “potential life-saving surgery as a result of this campaign”.
Marketers will be cheered by the analysis’ suggestion that TV can have a specific benefit for public health – in this case by pricking to action people who had a cough for longer than three weeks. The government plans to re-run the campaign next year.
“It is great news that this campaign has raised awareness of lung cancer symptoms among those most at risk of the disease,” said Dr Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK.
“By acting quickly if you notice a possible symptom, you can give yourself the best chance of survival. In many cases it won’t be cancer, but it is better to be sure and, if it is cancer, to detect it earlier rather than later,” he added.
The first national campaign under the Be Clear On Cancer banner ran in early 2012 and focused on bowel cancer: it led to a 29.3% increase in GP attendances among patients over 50 with the campaign-related symptoms.
The number of consultations with men reporting symptoms during the campaign period increased by 37.3%, compared with 21.9% for women.
Adam Hill
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