Cancer52 organised a parliamentary reception which was attended by some 32 charity members, 22 patients and carers, and 19 MPs.
The reception[i] was hosted and addressed by Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer (APPGC)[ii] John Baron MP. The reception’s key objective was to raise awareness of rare and less common cancers amongst MPs which together account for more than half of all UK cancer deaths – more than the ‘big four’ (breast, prostate, lung and bowel cancer).[iii]
MPs met constituents affected by cancer and Cancer52 chair Jonathan Pearce and CEO Jane Lyons.
Attendees heard three individual patient stories which told of the challenges affecting people with rare and less common cancers.
Ingrid Copperman of Cancer52 told of her diagnosis of ovarian cancer, Susan Oliver of Pseudomyxoma Survivor of her diagnosis with pseudomyxoma peritonei, and Roger Brown of his experience with Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia.
Jane Lyons, CEO of Cancer52, said: “It was great that so many MPs, patients, carers and charities were able to join us, and am sure that as a result they will help support our work by ensuring that decision makers remember the rare and less common cancers when they’re writing policies or allocating funds.
“We are particularly grateful to John Baron MP for his work with cancer charities in parliament, and to Steve Brine MP, the Minister responsible for cancer, who sent a video message of support.”
Our thanks to Novartis UK who funded and organised this event in partnership with Cancer52 and to PB Consulting, who helped us on a pro bono basis with the administration of this event.
You can see a range of photos of the event here, as well as video recordings of the speeches. Steve Brine MP’s message of support for the work of Cancer52 can be viewed here.
[i] The reception was held on 22nd November 2017
[ii] The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer is the voice of the cancer community in Parliament, raising cancer at every opportunity, including on the Floor of the House and in meetings with Ministers and others.
[iii] There were 163,444 deaths from cancer in the UK in 2014. Despite only 47% of cancers being diagnosed as rare and less common, more than half of cancer deaths (54%) were from rare and less common cancers http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/mortality Accessed 14/11/2017