Dr Annet Gamell is the Chief Clinical Officer for the Chiltern Clinical Commissioning Group, made up of 34 GP practices in Amersham, Wycombe, and across South Bucks.

She writes: February 4 was World Cancer Day. The week before was Cervical Cancer Screening Awareness Week. We’re already very aware of ‘The Big C’ – so why do we need to be more so?

The reason is because the very word cancer still instils so much fear and denial and, as a general population, we avoid discussing it. So actually we don’t know as much as we need to.

We need to be aware because:

We can adopt lifestyles and behaviours that may avoid certain cancers

We need to understand and engage in national routine screening programmes for early detection of cancer i.e. cervical, breast and bowel.

Early symptom recognition and action can lead to early diagnosis and treatment.

Let’s take each of those in turn. Smoking is well known to increase the risk of lung cancer. Less well known is mouth, throat, gullet (oesophageal) and stomach cancer.

One in six adults in Buckinghamshire still smoke. Alcohol consumption above recommended levels carries risk for digestive system cancers, from mouth through to intestines.

Obesity and unhealthy eating also increases risks of cancers – alarming, now that around one in four adults in the UK are considered obese.

Researchers estimate that obesity is behind around 17,000 cases of cancer in the UK every year – and this almost certainly on the rise.

It is estimated that around four in ten cancers can be prevented through sensible lifestyle choices – taking ownership of your own health is key to cancer prevention.

It’s worth remembering that employers can also play their part in preventing cancer. People lead busy lives nowadays – if businesses promote health awareness and healthy eating, and support staff in staying active (with lunchtime walks/ exercise classes, for instance), they, too, can keep Bucks healthier.

The earlier we diagnose and treat cancers the more chance there is of successful treatment and survival.

National screening programmes have shown that methods like cervical smears, mammograms and detecting hidden blood in stools, can identify early signs of cancer before symptoms or easily noticeable warning signs have occurred.

Around 20 per cent of cancers are diagnosed in A&E. By then, with severe symptoms, cancer will have progressed to a level that needs more intensive treatment.

Don’t ignore symptoms: blood in stools, lumps in the breast, persistent tummy pain, unexplained weight loss, coughs for more than three weeks - especially in smokers.

If your GP suspects cancer, you will be referred under the ‘two week rule’. You may not have cancer but you will be fast tracked for specialist assessment and investigation. Please attend these appointments - late diagnosis can have serious consequences.

Chiltern CCG’s population has the best cancer survival rate, one year after diagnosis, in the Thames Valley and above the England average. However, the UK still lags behind the European average. Much more work is needed to get accurate data to aid research.

The NHS is working with organisations like UK Cancer Research to improve public awareness training for professionals – we are aiming for world class standards in diagnosis and treatment.

For people living with cancer, psychological help and support is also needed. Locally we have ‘Moving on with Confidence’ by Bucks Healthcare Trust, while agencies like Macmillan provide skilled support.

The more discussion there is of cancer, the more we can act to avoid and treat these conditions. Also, the more we can do to help with palliative and end of life care. No surprises.

We need to avoid fear, and – hard as it may sometimes be - recognise futility and the downside of ‘attempted rescue’ when cancer is at a certain stage and severity. People want comfort, support and dignified exits when all has been tried. We’ve had some celebrity examples of this recently - David Bowie and Terry Wogan.

What is required is honest conversations and respect for the expressed wishes of those actually living with the cancer.

Let’s make ourselves aware. Cancer is everyone’s business.