Big #Cancer52 Conversation

Insightful discussions on reducing health inequalities

A lively conference was held on the 13th November called the Big #Cancer52 Conversation. There were insightful discussions focused on reducing health inequalities with new Cancer52 CEO, Chris Walden, our very own Oracle Head & Neck Cancer UK CEO, Tamara Kahn, Director of Delivery & Impact, Roz Redd, and North West Cancer Research (NWCR) CEO, Alastair Richards, amongst many other amazing partners and key cancer charity, policy and research leaders.

Highlight talk by Prof. Bola Owolabi, NHS England’s Director of Healthcare Inequalities Improvement and practicing GP, emphasising our collective responsibility to drive change through our spheres of influence.

A lot to do on stark inequalities

And we have our work ahead! As the Big #Cancer52 Conversation demonstrated, Head and neck cancers have many stark inequalities:

• 2x higher incidence in most deprived areas vs least deprived
• Up to 55% of cases diagnosed at late stages
• Significant survival rate disparities across regions

As the recent University of Sheffield and Department of Health and Social Care atlas of health variation across England reported;

People living in the most deprived areas were more likely to be diagnosed with head and neck cancer at a late stage than those living in the least deprived areas. Reasons may include lower health literacy, poorer communication of healthcare needs and poorer access to dental services.

In 2020, 3,469 people died of head and neck cancers in England alone, an increase from 3,313 deaths in 2019. The mortality rate for head and neck cancer continued to increase in 2020 while for all cancers the mortality rate decreased.

There was significant geographic variation in mortality rates across England. People living in the most deprived areas have more than double the mortality rate of those living in the least deprived areas.

Oracle is committed to putting head and neck cancers firmly on the map in the new 10-year cancer plan. Working with our Head & Neck Cancer Coalition partners, we have a crucial opportunity to reshape the landscape of care.

Following Lord Darzi’s 2024 NHS investigation, the urgency is clear: we must amplify voices of underserved communities and transform treatment accessibility. The diagnosis is made – now we focus on the cure.

Together, we can make a difference!