Diagnosing cancer when it isn’t too large and hasn’t spread means that treatment is more likely to be successful and could lessen the effects of treatment, i.e. less time off work and lessened lasting effects of treatment.
Earlier and faster diagnosis is dependent on people understanding and being aware of the signs and symptoms of cancer, visiting a healthcare professional as soon as you can and by taking up screening programmes.
The workplace provides a unique opportunity for us to see or hear a sign or symptom in someone we work with that they should get checked out. With some knowledge of what we might notice in ourselves or others, along with the skills and confidence to encourage someone to see their doctor we might be able to spot cancer as an early and treatable stage.
If someone points out a symptom you have or if notice something that isn’t normal for you it is important to tell your doctor as soon as possible so that they can ask you questions and if needed arrange for tests to find out if there is something that needs treatment.
Some people might feel that they don’t want to go to their doctor because they know they are busy, or because of fear of getting news that they have something with them
By appropriately encouraging someone to get a sign or symptom checked out you might save someone worrying; you might even save a life.
The truth that we need to remind ourselves and others is that the chances are it’ll be all right, though your GP would want to check that out. If you need treatment the sooner the better.
Cancer screening is a test that looks for early signs of cancer in people with no symptoms. Cancer screening is not the same as tests used by doctors to diagnose and treat cancer.
People living and working in South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw will be invited to take part in Lung Health Checks, as well as the NHS screening programmes breast (mammogram), cervical (smear test) and bowel cancer (home faecal immunochemical testing or FIT kit) at key stages of their life and based on information held by their GP.
It is important that employers remove barriers to attending by making sure that time can be taken for appointments by making “time to test”, and that information and encouragement is there for anyone less familiar with why screening is important and what it involves.
Created by the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University.
A guide to steps you can take to encourage and support physical activity in and around the workplace across a range of settings.
Employer: Sheffield Hallam University
Initiative: Prostate Cancer Awareness Sessions
Catherine Holborn, Senior Lecturer in Radiotherapy & Oncology, shares her approach to workforce education on prostate cancer; the most common cancer in men in the UK.
Current statistics show that 1 in 8 men in the UK will get prostate cancer within their lifetime. Currently, over 52,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, and sadly 10,000 of these men are diagnosed too late for a cure.
But it does not have to be this way. Prostate cancer is treatable if caught early and by empowering more people to understand the risk and what can be done about it, together we can save thousands of men’s lives.
To help men understand if they are at higher risk, and what they can do about it, Prostate Cancer UK have created an online risk checker. It is anonymous and takes under a minute to complete: www.prostatecanceruk.org/v-risk
Signs and symptoms awareness campaign resources
Created by South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Cancer Alliance
Building on the “Peace of Mind” campaign we have created a series of posters and digital assets that can be tailored for your organisation.
All posters are provided as PNGs that can be printed up to A3 as well as some templates where employers can add their own imagery and workplace logos.
We have included links to reputable organisations only, however links do not mean that this is an endorsement of services or an intentional exclusion of other services.
Macmillan at Work
Macmillan at Work offers workplace training, guidance and resources to help managers and HR professionals feel confident and equipped to support employees affected by cancer.
It’s free to sign up and enables you to receive a free Essential Work and Cancer Toolkit for your organisation and access our expert training.
Find out more and sign up to Macmillan at Work
Active Together
Funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research
FREE fitness support for people with cancer. Research has shown that regular exercise before, during and after cancer treatment can lead to improved recovery, increased survival and help reduce the risk of cancer coming back. Active Together offers free, personalised fitness support for people following a cancer diagnosis, delivered by qualified professionals.
