A LIFESAVING cancer screening pop-up shop will head to Barnsley town centre next week in order to continue testing more people after a successful event in Goldthorpe.
From 10am while 3pm outside Library @ the Lightbox on Wednesday, medics will be on hand to screen residents for breast, lung, bowel and cervical cancer in a mobile unit.
The event co-organised with the council, Barnsley Healthcare Federation and the Central Area Team is the second to be organised following another pop-up in Goldthorpe on June 20.
It’s a quicker opportunity to speak to service leaders, get referred and have screenings, leaders told the Chronicle this week, while Mayor of Barnsley Dave Leech will also be attending to encourage more to take advantage of the scheme.
Molly Abbott, who has helped organise both events, said: “We had a positive day in Goldthorpe so we’re hoping Barnsley town centre’s will be just as good, if not better, given its location.
“It’s a really important project screening can save lives so I’d recommend anyone to come forward on Wednesday.”
Screening for both breast and cervical cancer has been high on the agenda locally, after it was revealed that almost a quarter of all cancer cases in Barnsley are not being diagnosed until patients are admitted to hospital as a result of a medical emergency.
In a typical year across the town, 24 per cent of cancers are diagnosed through emergency routes, such as visiting A and E which is higher than the England average of 19 per cent.
Of the cancers in England diagnosed through an emergency route, around 75 per cent are described as being at a ‘late’ stage, meaning it is often harder to treat and survival rates are lower.
Currently, around half of cancers in Yorkshire are diagnosed at stage three or four, but leaders are hoping the addition of the Community Diagnostic Centre and the Health on the High Street scheme in the Alhambra will reduce the backlog, as well as more pop-up events in high footfall areas.
Dr Stuart Griffiths, director of research at Yorkshire Cancer Research, added: “Early diagnosis is critical to cancer survival as more treatment options are available and there is a better chance of the cancer being successfully treated.
“We hope the government and the region’s political leaders make early diagnosis a priority so more people across the region have access to life-saving screening services and are supported to come forward with any cancer signs or symptoms.
“We may still be seeing the effects of the pandemic on cancer survival rates, as more people were diagnosed at a later stage.
“It is vital that we do all we can to ensure these numbers do not continue to fall below pre-pandemic levels.”
