Britons ‘risking cancer by ignoring GP visits’

Cancer Research UK has published a new report highlighting the problems caused by people failing to report potential disease symptoms to their doctors.

A survey carried out by the research charity has revealed that 32 percent of people in the UK say that they would prefer to wait for an unusual or persistent change to their body to go away on its own, rather than see their GP about it.

Almost one-quarter of respondents said they would be put off booking a GP appointment because of the inconvenience of doing so, while 20 percent are too worried about what the doctor might find.

This report comes as part of the organisation's Spot Cancer Early campaign, which aims to encourage people to see their doctor sooner rather than later if they experience potential disease symptoms.

Dr Claire Knight, health information manager at Cancer Research UK, said: "We want people to know that you are more likely to survive cancer if it's found at an early stage. It's important to get to know your body so you're familiar with what's normal for you."

Last month, the government released a survey suggesting that embarrassment is a particular issue for patients affected by potential bowel cancer symptoms.