Nick Thomas-Symonds, Torfaen MP, writes about World Cancer Day for Cwmbran Life.
Every year on 4 February, people across the world mark World Cancer Day. It offers a chance to raise awareness of cancer and a reminder of the work needed to tackle the disease.
Thousands of people in Torfaen have been affected by cancer – whether that’s through their own lived experience or being there to support loved ones. Cancer Research UK estimate there are around 580 new cancer cases every year in Torfaen.
I’ve lost two inspirational women in my life to cancer; my grandmother Olwyn to breast cancer in 1998; and my mother Pam to bowel cancer in 2018.
It was a conversation with my grandmother that inspired me to go into politics to secure change for our communities, and my mother taught me the values of kindness, generosity and care for others which helped shape me as a politician.
It was the experience of losing loved ones which inspired me to campaign for better care and treatment for people with cancer.
Since elected in 2015, I’ve campaigned in Parliament to lower the screening age to 50 years old, which I’m delighted this is now a reality in Wales. I’ve spoken about the importance of screening and early diagnosis of bowel cancer and will do all I can to promote screening that saves lives.
One of my proudest moments as Torfaen MP was securing changes to the law to improve access to lifesaving low-cost treatments for conditions such as breast cancer. Since April 2018, bisphosphonates, drugs nominally used to manage osteoporosis, have for the first time been accessible to breast cancer patients being treated at Velindre.
Here in Torfaen, it was a privilege to be the Patron of the Friends of the Breast Care Unit, a fantastic local group that was set up to raise funds for additional services and facilities at the new Breast Care Centre of Excellence at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr which welcomed patients for the first time in 2024.
We also have a great community spirit in raising money for cancer charities with volunteers running the annual Cancer Research UK Pontypool Relay for Life as well as local Macmillan Coffee Mornings.
But with around 4 in 10 cases of cancer being preventable, there is more we can all do to raise awareness and save lives. One of the best ways we can raise awareness is to talk with others about cancer – it can give people confidence to talk about any symptoms they have, make them aware of support available, and encourage them to seek help if they need it.
It was very hard to talk about the loss of my beloved mother in Parliament, but I felt it was important to raise awareness of bowel cancer screening. It led to many other MPs sharing their stories, and together we secured change.
So this World Cancer Day, I’m encouraging people across Torfaen to talk about cancer, whether it’s with their family, friends, or confidential helplines such as Macmillan or Cancer Research UK. Together we can break down barriers and save lives.