MP'S TIMELY BOWEL CANCER SCREENING MESSAGE TARGETS WORLD CUP FANS

12.26.18pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 23rd Jun 2010

John Leech MP supporting Cancer Research UK's World Cup Screening launch

MP hopes constituents will remember the experience of Bobby Moore, who captained England to World Cup glory in 1966, but died of bowel cancer aged 51.

Ahead of England's crucial world cup game John Leech MP supported efforts to beat cancer at a major Cancer Research UK event in Parliament.

During the briefing, the Manchester Withington MP heard from experts how bowel cancer screening saves thousands of lives. He heard about a recent groundbreaking study, part-funded by Cancer Research UK, which shows that a one-off, cost-effective screening procedure called a Flexi-Scope test, could prevent a third of bowel cancers and reduce death rates by nearly half.

John also met Stephanie Moore MBE, wife of England's 1966 World Cup winning captain, Bobby Moore. Stephanie founded the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK after Bobby died of bowel cancer in1992.

John Leech MP said: "Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK and more than 100 people are diagnosed with the disease every single day. One in three people can expect a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. During World Cup season, I urge everyone in Manchester Withington to remember Bobby Moore and to take up the offer of bowel cancer screening when they are invited because screening saves lives.

"Diagnosing cancers like bowel cancer early is absolutely critical as, when cancer is picked up early, it's nearly always easier to treat successfully."

Aisling Burnand, Executive Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Cancer Research UK, said:

"We are very grateful to John Leech MP for supporting our vital work. Cancer screening is a crucial part of diagnosing cancer early because it detects cancers which might not yet have caused any signs or symptoms.

"Cancer Research UK thinks the findings of the Flexi-Scope study are so promising that we are calling on the UK governments to incorporate the Flexi-Scope as part of the national screening programme for bowel cancer.

"MPs have a key role to play in raising awareness of bowel cancer locally and nationally and highlighting the importance of screening programmes to help detect cancer early. Cancer survival rates have continued to improve and our work has been at the heart of that progress. If we diagnose cancer earlier, this would help us to make the UK's cancer outcomes among the best in Europe in the next 10 years."