Shropshire bladder and cancer deaths toll revealed
Bladder and kidney cancers are to blame for almost 90 deaths over a four-year period in Shropshire, new figures show.
A total of 87 patients from the region succumbed to the illnesses between 2012 to 2016 according to new data released by Public Health England (PHE) as part of a new campaign to reduce deaths by detecting the cancers early.
In the Shropshire Council area, 136 residents were diagnosed and there were 62 deaths. In Telford & Wrekin, 62 residents were diagnosed and there were 25 deaths in the same period.
PHE has today launched its new Be Clear on Cancer Campaign to urge residents to check for the signs, as blood in urine is a major symptom.
A new short film featuring Dr Dawn Harper of Channel 4's Embarrassing Bodies series, is also being aired as part of the campaign.
Dr Harper, also a GP added: "It’s vital that people don’t put off getting help. If it is cancer, early diagnosis saves lives.”
Every year around 19,100 new cases are diagnosed in England and of those 2,000 are in the West Midlands resulting around 880 deaths.
Dr Jo Leahy, local GP and chairman of Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “People over 50 are most at risk from kidney and bladder cancers, but only 19 per cent of people over 50 in the West Midlands check their pee every time they go to the toilet.
"If you ‘look before you flush’ to check for blood in your pee, and talk to your GP immediately, even if you see blood just the once, then we could diagnose the cancer in the early stages when it is most treatable.”
Dr Lola Abudu, director of health and wellbeing for Public Health England (PHE) in the West Midlands, said: “Even if you notice blood in your pee just the once, you should tell your doctor straight away. The chances are it’s nothing serious, but bladder and kidney cancers are more treatable if they are found early.
"Other potential symptoms to look out for are pains that don’t go away, either in the tummy or the side below the ribs, weight loss, pain when peeing and cystitis – a urinary tract infection that can recur after treatment.
"If you have any of these symptoms and they persist, you should definitely visit your doctor, and don’t worry that you’re wasting their time, because going to the GP could save your life.”
Smoking, too much weight, exposure to certain chemicals, family history of cancer and other medical conditions, such as kidney failure are factors that can lead to cancer risk. Signs of blood is a symptom in almost two thirds or 64 per cent of all bladder cancers and around a fifth or 18 per cent of kidney cancers.
