MPs from across the political spectrum have added their support to the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce (LSCT)’s calls for government commitment to tackle stark inequalities in cancer outcomes.

50 cross-party MPs attended a LSCT event at the House of Commons yesterday to mark World Cancer Day and to learn more about the deadly cancer gap in cancer survival.

The LSCT represents six ‘less survivable cancers’, lung, liver, brain, oesophageal, pancreatic and stomach, which collectively make up half of all the deaths from common cancers in the UK but they have an average five year survival of under 16% due to a legacy of neglect and underfunding. 

At the event, MPs met with cancer specialists and patients with first-hand experience of the ‘less survivable cancers’. They learnt about the critical situation for people diagnosed with these cancers and the urgent need for a step change in targeted investment in research in order to make much-needed diagnosis and treatment breakthroughs.

James Brokenshire, MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup said:

It was great to support the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce at their special event in Parliament for #WorldCancerDay. As a survivor of one of those cancers important we redouble efforts to improve outcomes, save more lives and close the cancer gap.

The LSCT includes Action Against Heartburn, the British Liver Trust, Guts UK, Pancreatic Cancer UK, The Brain Tumour Charity and the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. The Taskforce aims to close the #DeadlyCancerGap and double the survivability of ‘less survivable cancers’ by 2029.