Be clear on cancer: campaign continues
The next national campaign to raise awareness of cancer symptoms launches in July 2015, and will focus on breast cancer in women over 70.
PHE, in partnership with the Department of Health and NHS England, has announced the next national ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ symptom awareness campaign will focus on breast cancer in women over 70.
The campaign, which first ran nationally in February and March 2014, is likely to include TV, press, digital, out of home advertising and road show events to reinforce the message:
One in three women who get breast cancer are over 70, so don’t assume you’re past it.
It will also aim to highlight how early diagnosis can improve cancer survival rates and make the disease more treatable.
The decision to run a ‘breast cancer in women over 70’ reminder campaign at a national level is based on positive evidence from the evaluation of the previous national campaign that ran in early 2014. Results showed that:
- After the campaign there was high awareness of general cancer advertising (82% overall). Of those recalling general cancer advertising, breast cancer was the type of cancer most frequently recalled and rose significantly from 39% pre-campaign to 57% post-campaign.
- Confidence in knowledge of signs and symptoms of breast cancer increased significantly, mainly in the proportion of women claiming to be “very confident” up from 19% before the campaign to 26% after the campaign.
- Seven in 10 (71%) agreed that the advertising would prompt them to visit their GP if they had any of the symptoms, and 6 in 10 (60%) agreed that the advertising would prompt them to talk to somebody close to them to make sure they looked out for symptoms.
- Overall, 15% of women who had recognised the advertising claimed to have had taken action; the most common form of action taken was to make an appointment with a GP (5%).