Cancer inequality research gets huge boost from Get A-Head

Cancer inequality research gets huge boost from Get A-Head

RESEARCHERS studying cancer inequalities around the country have received almost £30,000 from leading head and neck charity Get A-Head.

Oracle Head and Neck Cancer UK has received a grant of £29,700 from the Get A-Head Charitable Trust to tackle the wide variations in head and neck cancer cases in different areas of England.

The project, in association with Queen Mary University of London, will focus on Tower Hamlets, which has high levels of deprivation, a large ethnic minority community and significantly more cases of head and neck cancer than England as a whole. 

The grant will be used to fund Patient Public Involvement (PPI) networks, working with community groups and patients to raise awareness of head and neck cancers, understand access to treatment options and understand the lived experiences of these communities.

Danni Heath, director of Get A-Head, said:

“We know that there are significant inequalities in the incidence of head and neck cancers across the whole country, and that is nowhere more obvious than in Tower Hamlets. 

“Understanding why these inequalities happen is the first step in being able to tackle them, and we are delighted to be working in partnership with Oracle to raise awareness of head and neck cancer in areas where it’s needed most.” 

Tamara Kahn, chief executive of Oracle Head and Neck Cancer UK, said:

“The incidence of oral cancers in Tower Hamlets has increased by a third over the last decade. The age-standardised rate for oral cancer per 100,000 population in Tower Hamlets is 21.5, compared to 13.5 for London and 13.2 for England.

“There is an urgent need to develop culturally sensitive and contextually appropriate interventions in this and other local areas to prevent head and neck cancers and strengthen health system preparedness to tackle them. 

“Our mission to make lives better for people with head and neck cancers aligns very closely with the aims of Get A-Head, so I am very grateful that they have been able to make this grant.”

Suzanne Scott, Professor of Health Psychology and Early Cancer Diagnosis at Queen Mary University of London, said:

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Oracle Head and Neck Cancer UK, involving local communities to work towards more timely diagnosis of head and neck cancer. Early detection is vital in improving cancer outcomes.”

Funding research into the causes and treatments of head and neck conditions, particularly cancer, is one of the key aims of Get A-Head, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

The Midlands-founded charity also provides funding for life-changing equipment which isn’t available through the NHS, funds education courses for healthcare professionals and provides complementary therapies to ease the effects of treatments.

For more information about Get A-Ahead, including how to donate or take part in fundraising events, please visit: www.getahead.org.uk/.

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