Staff make vow on cancer day

Patients, staff and the public visited information stands and made pledges to fight cancer at the awareness event on Friday.

More than 100 people made a pledge and £450 was raised to be used to enhance cancer services within Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The theme of this year’s event was ‘I can. We can,’ to highlight the power of individuals and groups in the global fight against cancer.

One of the teams represented at the event was the colorectal cancer and stoma department.

Nichola Ritchie, colorectal cancer and stoma clinical nurse specialist, said: “The event helped us to highlight the importance of early detection and recognition of bowel cancer symptoms.

“Bowel Cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and each year in Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre alone we see around 270 new cases. Bowel cancer is treatable, if caught early, and we are capturing more early stage cancers with the introduction of the bowel cancer screening service.”