What's awareness of cancer like across North Yorkshire?
Healthwatch North Yorkshire has been working with York St John University and the Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance to understand how much people know about cancer symptoms, risk factors and screening in our county.
Almost 20,000 people in the Humber and North Yorkshire area are diagnosed with cancer each year. This is higher than the England average. One in two people will develop cancer in their lifetime.
The earlier cancer is found, the better the chances of successful treatment and survival. If cancer is diagnosed early, there is an 81% chance of surviving. If it is diagnosed late, that drops to just 26%. By helping more people recognise the signs and symptoms of cancer, and making it easier to get tests and checks, more people can be diagnosed and treated earlier.
What is the awareness and early diagnosis programme?
The Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance runs an awareness and early diagnosis programme to increase public knowledge of cancer risks, screening and symptoms. The programme aims to encourage more people to take part in the three main national cancer screening programmes (bowel, breast and cervical), as well as the new lung cancer screening programme. These screenings can prevent some cancers and help detect others at an earlier, more treatable stage.
The programme also works to make sure people can recognise cancer symptoms and that health services can act quickly to diagnose cancers sooner, when treatment can be simpler and more successful. A key focus is tackling health inequalities, as some communities in our area have poorer outcomes from cancer than others.
Current priorities include:
- Encouraging people to report worrying symptoms to their GP without delay
- Supporting GPs and primary care teams, who are often the first point of contact for patients, to help speed up diagnosis
- Increasing understanding of public awareness about cancer and how to improve the diagnosis process
- Promoting and supporting the national cancer screening programmes
Who Healthwatch North Yorkshire heard from
- 1,818 people from North Yorkshire completed the survey, which is about 30% of all responses.
- We also spoke in depth to 98 people about their experiences and views.
- 55% of people were female, 45% were male, and 38% had a long term health condition.
Key findings
Awareness of cancer symptoms and risk factors
The most recognised symptoms were:
- Unexplained lump or swelling
- Change in the appearance of a mole
- Coughing up blood
The most recognised risk factors were:
- Smoking
- Getting sunburnt
- Breathing in other people’s smoke
Experiencing symptoms and seeking help
55% of people had experienced at least one possible cancer symptom in the past six months.
52% contacted their GP within six months of noticing symptoms, slightly higher than the regional average.
89% got an appointment after contacting their GP, with 73% seeing someone in person.
The main reasons for seeking medical help were persistent or unusual symptoms, pain, or a feeling that something was not right.
The most common reasons for delaying help were difficulty getting an appointment, thinking symptoms were linked to another health condition, and not wanting to talk to a receptionist.
Cancer screening
- Cervical screening: 80% attended their last test and 89% plan to attend next time.
- Bowel screening: 76% completed their last kit and 93% intend to complete it next time.
- Breast screening: 89% attended their last screening and 94% plan to attend next time.
What the findings tell us
The findings show that many people in North Yorkshire are taking positive steps to protect their health, such as contacting their GP when they notice symptoms and attending cancer screening appointments. However, some challenges remain, including difficulty getting GP appointments, uncertainty about whether symptoms could be linked to cancer, and concerns about remote consultations.
By tackling these issues, we can help ensure that more cancers are diagnosed earlier, when treatment is simpler and more successful.
Last year over 1,550 new Cancer Champions were trained to raise awareness in workplaces, community groups, and hard to reach settings such as prisons. The programme has also delivered targeted work with Eastern European and Muslim communities, supported GP practices to improve cervical screening uptake, and made lung cancer screening more accessible for people with learning disabilities.
What happens next?
The next steps for 2025 to 2026 will include:
- Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance developing a more targeted Cancer Champions programme for the communities most at need
- Introducing a cancer incentive scheme for GP practices to boost early diagnosis and screening
- Rolling out standard urgent cancer referral forms across the region to speed up diagnosis
- Using the survey results to make sure the right messages reach the right people
- Recruiting new staff (primary care quality improvement facilitators) to support symptom awareness, screening, and good referral practices
Healthwatch North Yorkshire will continue to share what local people tell us about their experiences, so services can be shaped around the needs of our communities. We will also help promote clear, accessible information on cancer signs and symptoms, and encourage people to seek help without delay.
If you notice any unusual or persistent changes in your body, contact your GP. You are never wasting anyone’s time as getting checked could save your life.
