Cancer is the biggest cause of early death from illness or disease in Middlesbrough. This is partly because people are being diagnosed late when their treatment options and chances of survival are much lower.
More than 4 in 10 cases of cancer are caused by aspects of our lifestyle which we have the ability to change, such as smoking, poor diet, alcohol, lack of exercise.
Much of the work that the council's Public Health team delivers around cancer prevention is aimed at increasing public awareness and knowledge of cancer – signs and symptoms, risk factors and dispelling myths. We want to raise the profile of cancer as a key issue, making sure local people have the information they need to make informed choices about screening and healthy lifestyles, and they're able to spot possible signs and symptoms early and act on it by speaking to their GP or health professional.