PEOPLE in Blackburn and Darwen are ignoring the early signs of cancer, health bosses said as they launched a new awareness campaign.

NHS Blackburn with Darwen’s year-long re:act campaign will alert people to the initial symptoms of common cancers, encouraging them to face their fears and visit their doctor.

Initially focusing on the four most common cancers, lung, bowel, breast and cervical, the primary care trust (PCT) is working with the Blackburn with Darwen Community Voluntary Service (CVS), to enlist the help of community groups in getting the message to the most hard-to-reach residents.

Janet Hargreaves, the trust’s commissioning manager, said: “Cancer is the UK’s number one killer, but the problem is even worse in and around Blackburn.

“We have a lot of people presenting too late, with major symptoms, meaning the cancer is sometimes too advanced to treat.

“With lung cancer, for instance, for someone first visiting the doctor because they are coughing up blood, it is usually too late.

“Our campaign will focus on both lifestyle changes to prevent cancers, and awareness of screening programmes and early symptoms.”

The re:act scheme is part of the PCT’s bid to reduce the gap between the health of the richest and poorest, and runs alongside the re:fresh initiative - the partnership with Blackburn Council to provide free sport for all.

At a conference to launch re:act on Thursday, community groups from throughout the borough joined in workshops on the best ways to bring the campaign to those who need it most, including people who do not speak English as a first language, and those living in the very poorest areas.

Lin Cutforth, publicity officer at CVS, said: “For the people who are not accessing services already, we have got to work in a different way.

“We want to cascade the messages down through the communities, and work with them to make sure the messages we are sending out are effective. We want people to be aware, but we don’t want to frighten them so much that it becomes counterproductive.”

More information about the campaign, as well as free calendars and umbrellas to promote re:act, are available from NHS Blackburn with Darwen, on 01254 267000.