The family of the late campaigner Dame Deborah James, who was known as ‘Bowelbabe’ and died of bowel cancer in 2022 aged 40, has written to the UK’s party leaders today, urging them to make the upcoming general election a landmark moment for people affected by cancer.
In the open letter, Deborah’s husband, parents, brother and sister announced that they are joining Cancer Research UK’s call from ‘Longer, better lives: A manifesto for cancer research and care’ for the UK government to publish a long-term cancer strategy for England within one year of the general election. They said this will help give more people affected by cancer more time with the people they love.
With too many people still being diagnosed with bowel cancer at a later stage, when the disease is less treatable, the family stressed that implementing measures to drive earlier cancer diagnosis and reduce inequalities in access to treatment and care is essential to this strategy. This means re-doubling efforts to grow the NHS’ cancer workforce and investing in vital diagnostic equipment to ensure everyone who needs it can access the right test, in the right place, at the right time.
Deborah’s father, Alistair James, from Woking, said:
“NHS staff are working as hard as they can with what they have, but there simply isn’t enough resource to go around. This means too many people are being left waiting too long to be diagnosed and is really worrying when we know that early diagnosis saves lives.
“Deborah was a tireless campaigner for people affected by cancer and a passionate advocate of early diagnosis. Today we are continuing the work she started by joining Cancer Research UK to urge the government to deliver a long-term cancer strategy for England. Driving earlier diagnosis must be a key part of this to ensure everyone has access to the care that they need, when they need it.”
NHS England aims for 75% of patients urgently referred for suspected cancer to have it either diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days. This has not yet been met for lower gastrointestinal cancers (which includes bowel). The latest data shows that had it been met, in February 2024 alone around 3,800 more people would have found out whether they had cancer on time.*
If bowel cancer is diagnosed at the earliest stage, around 9 in 10 people will survive their disease for five years or more. This becomes around 1 in 10 when diagnosed at the latest stage.**
Deborah’s family has issued the letter to coincide with bowel cancer awareness month. Deborah, who lived in Barnes, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016, when she was just 35 years old. She went on to campaign for people affected by cancer, sharing her cancer experience with unflinching honesty and tackling many taboos – encouraging everyone to ‘check their poo’ – in the hope of improving early diagnosis.
The family also cautioned that the challenge is only growing. Earlier this month, the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK, set up to continue Deborah’s legacy, revealed that the number of people diagnosed with bowel cancer every year will rise by around a tenth by 2040.***
Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, said:
“Right now, people affected by cancer are not getting the care that they need and deserve. We urgently need more staff and equipment for the NHS, alongside reform to cancer services.
“We are incredibly grateful to Dame Deborah James’ family for supporting us in our call for a long-term cancer strategy for England. With cancer cases set to rise, we need assurance that cancer is a priority for the UK government. That’s why we’re urging all political parties to commit to publishing a strategy within one year of the general election.”
