Bupa says more awareness needed for quicker cancer diagnosis

Bupa has launched a guide for businesses to help their employees understand the symptoms of cancer, and advises them to go to their doctor if they notice any unexplained changes or on-going symptoms. They surveyed over 2,000 adults of whom almost half could not remember the warning signs and/or physical changes associated with cancer symptoms. This lack of basic knowledge is what Bupa believes leads to people not taking the time to self-examine for signs, and cancer being diagnosed much later than it could be. Of those surveyed, less than half check themselves for cancer symptoms on a monthly basis. Bupa’s research suggests that over four million employees have said they did not seek medical advice about a symptom due to lack of awareness and of those, over one million were later diagnosed with some form of cancer.

Dr Luke James, Medical Director at Bupa UK Insurance, said: “We know that many of the businesses we partner with are looking at how best to support colleagues who have been diagnosed with cancer, but more needs to be done to promote the importance of an early diagnosis. We believe this is key to helping improve outcomes and aiding recovery time.”