I’VE READ THAT THE UK RANKS POORLY FOR CANCER SURVIVAL RATES. WHAT CAN A CONCERNED BRIT DO?

It’s true that we’re trailing behind our neighbours. According to a study in the European Journal of Cancer, we actually have the worst survival rates in Western Europe. On the world table, we sit between Czech Republic and Croatia – in the bottom third – and are at risk of further relegation. NHS naysayers are wont to point the finger at drug access. They’re not entirely wrong. Immunotherapy – promising pills that teach the immune system to kill cancer cells – is harder to access in the UK than in many countries. Some believe this is due to the pricetag. While it’s proven to save lives, those holding the purse strings for our cash-strapped health service are reluctant to loosen their grip. But there are also legitimate concerns about the side effects: “The research is exciting,” says Dr Justine Alford of Cancer Research UK. “But it can send the immune system into overdrive, which can be fatal.”

The truth is our drug review body, NICE, is approving more treatments all the time, albeit at a molasses-slow pace. But this is almost a moot point when we Brits are prone to fall at the first hurdle: diagnosis. Our collective stiff upper lip means we’re still tardy about visiting the GP, often showing up too late for effective action. Cancer needs to be beaten early doors. The best option that you have is to knock at your doctor’s a lot sooner.