10 Year Cancer Plan consultation

The consultation starts with two pages of compulsory reading. Please read this information carefully then click ‘Next’ to begin.

Question 1. In what capacity are you responding to this survey?

Although you are responding as a Cancer Research UK supporter, please select the first option as you are sharing your personal views and experiences.

Questions 2-4. Email consent

Sometimes the government will require more detail about your responses or might want to reach out to you with more questions about this topic and/or others. Respond positively if you want to increase your chances of further shaping the 10-Year Cancer Plan.

Questions 5-11. Your personal characteristics

The Government is asking these questions about your personal characteristics for two reasons. Firstly, to understand different groups’ experiences along the cancer pathway. Secondly, to ensure the government’s policies are representative.

Your response will be grouped with responses from people who share the same characteristics. However, your submission will not be personally identifiable. Only one question – where do you live? – is compulsory, so if you would prefer to withhold your individual information you can do so.

Questions 12-13. Your health

If you have/ have had cancer, it is worth noting that the law considers this a disability under the Equality Act 2010. However, you may not consider yourself disabled. Instead, you may see your cancer as a long-term condition to manage - or you might not consider either label. This question draws out your health identity.

Question 14. The signs and symptoms of cancer

When answering this question think about how many different types of cancer you could recognise the signs and symptoms for unprompted. There are more than 200 different types of cancer.

Question 15. Accessing cancer information

Tick the different ways you access information on the signs and symptoms of cancer. If you have ever used the Cancer Research UK website, please mention this in the ‘other’ box so the government understand how widely used and trusted our information is.

Question 16. Your cancer treatment

Here is where your personal experiences will really make a difference. The question is optional, but we really encourage you to use the follow-up question to share your experiences and views.

You are limited to 3 recommendations so think carefully about what you want to prioritise mentioning.

Did you face any delays to your diagnosis? Did NHS staff shortages impact your cancer journey? Would you have had better outcomes in a different area? Were there innovative treatments you did not have access to because of where you lived?

We recommend you add detail about your experience here to evidence your recommendations.

Question 17. Which areas would you like to see prioritised over the next decade?

You might find this question asking you to select which parts of the cancer pathway should be prioritised difficult since all parts are important. Think about which areas need the most improvement and/or where interventions will have the greatest impact. But remember you can select more than one option if you wish.

This is the longest and most time-consuming section but it is the most important if you want your experience to shape the 10 Year Cancer Plan. 

We have outlined a summary of Cancer Research UK’s position for some of the questions and added links to some relevant documents. These are prompts to help you think expansively. Please do not copy and paste the summary into your response. If you do, the government will consider your submission as the same as the organisation's and your unique experience will be lost.

There is a 500-word limit for each question - we recommend you draft your responses in Word beforehand then copy them across.

Question 18. Do you have any suggestions for how to raise awareness of the causes of cancer and how it can be prevented?

The Government must take bold action to tackle the two greatest preventable causes of cancer: tobacco and obesity, both of which disproportionately affect socio-economically deprived groups. The Government must adapt the environment to make it easier for people to make healthier choices and ensure tight targets are in place to reduce disparities in cancer prevalence due to these risk factors.

Question 19. Do you have any suggestions for how to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer?

We are not sharing a public position on this because we want you to tell the government which awareness-raising activities you would pay attention to.

Question 20. Do you have any suggestions for how to get more people diagnosed quicker?

Early and timely diagnosis is critical to improving cancer survival. The most important step in diagnosing more cancers earlier is investing in growing the cancer workforce and expanding diagnostic capacity. But action is required in many areas. The Plan should also set out measures to encourage help-seeking behaviour, streamline cancer pathways and support research and innovation into new ways of detecting cancer. The Plan must implement what works in the short-term and implement innovative approaches in the longer- term. 

Question 21. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve access to and experiences of cancer treatment?

Improving access to innovative cancer treatment means NHS England’s processes for testing, adopting, and implementing these must continue to improve. Surgical and radiotherapy capacity must also be expanded to ensure all cancer patients can access timely treatment.  

Question 22. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve after-care and support services for cancer patients and their families?

We are not sharing a public position on this because we want you to share the after-care interventions that would have helped you and your loved ones.

Question 23. Do you have any suggestions for how can we maximise the impact of research and data regarding cancer and cancer services in England, including how we can translate research and data into practice sooner?

Cancer Research UK’s position is that to maximise the impact of research and data, the Plan must ensure a thriving life sciences ecosystem. This must attract global talent and benefit from sufficient investment from a range of funders. Action must cover three key areas: data, clinical research and early detection and diagnosis research.