Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, recently joined forces with a dedicated cancer campaigner to highlight Cancer Research UK’s ambition to improve survival rates.
Gavin met with Alan Peace to learn more about Cancer Research UK’s work and its goal to ensure that, within 20years, three in four of all cancer patients diagnosed will survive at least ten years.
Gavin said: “It was a pleasure to meet Alan and listen to his story. There has been a huge amount of progress over the past few decades, but there is still a lot more work to be done.
“Cancer Research UK’s pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer is helping to save millions of lives. It’s vital that we all continue to support its efforts and do everything we can to help beat cancer sooner.”
There have been major advances in the fight against cancer over the past 40 years and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the very heart of that progress.
Two in four people diagnosed with cancer today in the UK will survive their disease for at least ten years, compared to just one in four in the early 1970s.
In the West Midlands, this means that around 14,000 people each year can now expect to survive the disease for at least ten years.
Alan was one of over 100 Cancer Research UK Ambassadors who came to Westminster in early July to meet their MPs and highlight the importance of parliamentary support to accelerate progress in the fight against cancer.
Alan: “It was fantastic to meet my local MP, Gavin Williamson, and discuss my reasons for becoming a Cancer Research UK Campaigns Ambassador and why early diagnosis matters to me personally. Cancer Research UK is making huge progress but we need the help and support of MPs like Gavin to help more cancer patients survive.”