Many people are unaware of the key signs of leukaemia despite it being one of deadliest forms of cancer, a situation leading cancer charities say is “extremely worrying”.
A survey of 2134 adults co-commissioned by Leukaemia UK and Leukaemia Care revealed awareness of the warning signs was low and that, in London in particular, none of those surveyed were able to identify all four of most widely reported symptoms: bleeding, bruising, fatigue and infections.
Leukaemia is a form of blood cancer which kills 5,000 people a year in the UK, and is often diagnosed too late. Overall survival rates for leukaemia stand at just over 50% but the earlier the diagnosis, the better the outcome.
Only 10% of survey respondents in London knew that repeated infections were one of the most common symptoms. There was also low awareness of unusual bruising (26%) and unusual bleeding (10%) as symptoms, while 41% of respondents did not know to look out for fatigue – the most likely symptom to be identified by those later diagnosed with leukaemia.
Leukaemia UK and Leukaemia Care have now teamed up on a new campaign, #SpotLeukaemia, to raise awareness of these symptoms ahead of Blood Cancer Awareness Month in September.
In their joint campaign film, ‘Henry’, a talented Macaw parrot, uses a range of objects to create a catchy and repetitive rap featuring the symptoms. The ad focuses on the top four symptoms of leukaemia, but other symptoms include fever or night sweats, bone or joint pain and swollen lymph nodes.
Fiona Hazell, chief executive of Leukaemia UK said: “It’s extremely worrying that less than 1% of Brits are able to identify the most common symptoms of leukaemia, when 28 people are diagnosed each day in the UK.”
She added: ″People underestimate their risk by thinking that leukaemia is a childhood disease. In reality, both incidence and mortality rates rise sharply after the age of 55. Raising awareness in this age group is critical in order to treat it early and effectively; and ultimately to improve survival rates overall.”
While leukaemia is the most common type of childhood cancer, incidence rates rise sharply after the age of 55 and 38% of all new diagnoses occur in those over 75.
However, the survey found that only 2% of Brits think that leukaemia is most common in those over 75. with 43% of respondents thinking that leukaemia is most common in the under 24s.
The Spot Leukaemia campaign particularly wants to increase awareness among those who are over 65, as this age group is the most likely to be diagnosed with leukaemia.
“With over 10,000 people being diagnosed every year with a leukaemia, this shows just how important it is to continue to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms and how much work needs to be done,” said Zack Pemberton-Whiteley, chief executive of Leukaemia Care.
People who are concerned about any of these symptoms – fatigue, bruising, unusual bleeding and repeated infections – are being strongly urged by the charities to contact their GP and request a blood test.
More information is available at www.spotleukaemia.org.uk.
