Nobody would argue that a cancer diagnosis can be more life-changing than any other experience. Now there are figures to support this, thanks to the Scottish government’s recent ‘detect cancer early’ PR campaign. The research focussed on 150 survivors of cancer, most of whom were over the age of 55. It is hoped that their experiences will provide guidance and comfort to others, as well as raising general awareness about cancer. The campaign aims to increase the amount of cancers detected at an early stage by 25% before 2016. It has a wide aim in promoting awareness, and it is hoped that the emotional wellness and social integration of sufferers will improve, while statistics decrease.
The campaign claims that cancer changes your outlook in life. They make this claim on the basis of strong statistics showing that a large amount of people did something they’d never done before after learning of their diagnosis. An amazing two thirds of people went out and did something they’d always dreamed of, such as charity work or a dream holiday. Figures also showed that cancer sufferers experience a changing or strengthening of their value system. Family became the highest priority to most participants in the survey, 75% of whom claimed that their children or partner carried them through the experience. The same amount of participants reported that they spent lots of time with their family after their diagnosis, and 35% told the important people in their life that they loved them. In some cases the opposite effect was achieved, with some reports of ending unhappy marriages when the diagnosis made them see the value of the time they had.
The campaign has cost the Scottish government over £30m, and has high hopes for decreasing cancer rates by promoting awareness in the country. Breast cancer is currently the focus of the campaign, perhaps because it is the area that can most quantitatively benefit from early detection. It is the most common cancer among Scottish women and accounts for nearly 30% of female cancer cases there. This is why it’s of such high importance to the PR strategy to stop cancer being a scary prospect that gets brushed under the carpet. It’s far better that cancer is something that we live in awareness of, while taking responsibility for our own health and wellbeing.
It is clear that a diagnosis of cancer makes you reassess your life in a way that no other influence can accomplish. Suddenly, all the really important things become priorities and the lesser anxieties and tribulations of everyday life just fade away. In this way the experience of cancer sufferers can be a lesson in wellbeing for us all.
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