About the 'small c' campaign

The ‘small c’ campaign is alerting people to the warning signs of cancer and the need to go to the doctor without delay. Spotting cancer early saves lives, and the ‘small c’ campaign is designed to help people recognise symptoms when the cancer is still small and more vulnerable to treatment.  Research shows that up to 10,000 deaths in the UK each year could be avoided, primarily through earlier diagnosis when the disease can be treated more successfully.

The first phase of the campaign is targeting lung and breast cancer, the two most commonly diagnosed forms of cancer, affecting almost 90,000 people a year in the UK.

Cancer with a small c

Cancer is sometimes referred to as the ‘Big C’ because some people have such a fatalistic view of the disease they won’t say the word.  The ‘small c’ is demonstrating that most people with cancer survive, providing it is caught at an early stage when the cancer is small and more vulnerable to treatment.

Cancer symptoms checklists are available on leaflets and on other publicity material in GP surgeries and pharmacies across east London – which covers some of the UK’s most deprived areas. They can also be downloaded and ordered from this website.

The initiative is a partnership between NHS East London and the City, NHS Waltham Forest, Barts and The London NHS Trust and the North East London Cancer Network. Other partners are Barts Cancer Centre, Homerton, Newham and Whipps Cross University Hospitals, as well as local GPs, pharmacists and community groups.

Useful links

Find out more about our breast campaign.

Find out more about our lung campaign.

Find out more details about the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative on Cancer Research UK's website.