Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, has welcomed a newly launched service from Macmillan Cancer Support which provides tailored information and support to cancer patients at the point of diagnosis.
The aim of the service is to help recently diagnosed cancer patients cope with the emotional, physical and financial impacts of cancer. At the point of diagnosis, people will now be able to complete a short form and receive tailored information to support them through their diagnosis and beyond.
This comes after research was recently published which found that 120,000 cancer patients a year are missing out on the key information concerning ‘the basics’ of their diagnosis.
Research from Macmillan Cancer Support based on a YouGov survey of 2,000 people with cancer in the UK found that:
- 39% of people with cancer look online for information about their diagnosis
- Of these, 27% feel anxious, depressed or confused afterwards, representing more than 300,000 people in the UK
- Over 50,000 people with cancer thought they were going to die after looking online
- Over 50,000 people with cancer who looked online found ‘bogus’ cures
Andrew Gwynne MP said:
“This new service from Macmillan Cancer Support will transform the way in which people with cancer receive information about their diagnosis.
“The fact that over 50,000 people living with cancer in the UK felt that they were going to die after seeking information online is worrying.
“This service will support cancer patients through their diagnosis and beyond to ensure that they have all the information they need to best cope with the impacts of having cancer.”
The form is available here: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/diagnosed-with-cancer.html