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After the number of people seeking cancer treatment skyrocketed after the lockdown, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) warned that thousands of people with cancer may still go undiagnosed.
More than 27,000 people have started cancer treatment in England this year, a 42% increase from last year.
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Healthcare professionals are still concerned about patients who have yet to report cancer-like symptoms due to fears related to the coronavirus.
NHS data indicates that around 250,000 were tested for the disease in June.
A recent study showed that 60% of people fear overloading the NHS even more during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 49% said they would delay seeking health care.
Almost two-thirds or 63 percent of those surveyed were unaware of the common warning signs of abdominal and urologic cancers, even though they account for nearly 44 percent of all cancer diagnoses nationwide.
The NHS has also noted that long-term cough is now mistaken for the coronavirus. The survey found that two in five people did not know that a persistent cough that lasted more than three weeks was a sign of lung cancer.
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Amanda Prichard, the new chief executive of the NHS, said cancer patients would find hospitals “open and ready” for treatment.
On Monday, she will launch a new “Help Us, Help You” television ad campaign to raise awareness of the symptoms of abdominal, urologic and lung cancer.
Pritchard stressed that people should recognize common symptoms that can indicate a cancer diagnosis, adding that it is important that they take action by making an appointment with their GP, an action that could ultimately save their life.
Cancer Research UK chief executive Michelle Mitchell has advised anyone experiencing a change in their health not to blame it on aging or a pre-existing condition, but rather see a doctor.
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