News and Insight - Wharf Life: The Big Cancer52 Conversation

The Big Cancer52 Conversation kicked off last month at Level39, bringing together leaders from the charity, healthcare, and pharmaceutical sectors to share best practices, exchange ideas and explore collaborations, with the aim of improving outcomes for people with rare and less common cancers. There was a fantastic energy in the room, with a key focus on collaboration and innovation.

The day was structured around three ‘big conversations’ geared towards finding solutions to the challenges faced by people affected by these cancers; collaborating with the NHS to help patients get diagnosed earlier, working with the pharmaceutical industry to improve patient outcomes, and harnessing technology to best support patients now and in the future.

Cancer52 is the common voice for rare and less common cancers, which account for 47% of diagnoses yet 55% of UK cancer deaths. Despite this, these cancers remain severely under-represented across all areas, including policy, services, and research. The Cancer52 alliance of over 100 cancer charities work together on matters that impact the rare and less common cancer community – defined as all cancers outside the ‘big four’ of breast, prostate, lung, and bowel. Conversations like this are critical for improving outcomes, as patients with rare and less common cancers are frequently diagnosed later due to more vague, non-specific symptoms. There is also less public awareness of rare and less common cancer symptoms.

We were introduced to the Cancer52 team and mission by Level39 member, The Cancer Awareness Trust, who are part of the growing HealthTech and Life Sciences community here in Canary Wharf. As supporters of this event, we look forward to working together to identify next steps to maximise its impact. 

If you would like to support the work of Cancer52, you can donate online 

And to learn more about Level39 and the life sciences community in Canary Wharf, connect with us on LinkedIn