Representatives of cancer charities and people whose lives have been affected by cancer have joined the Prime Minister at Number 10 to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month and highlight the importance of breast cancer screening.
The NHS breast cancer screening programme currently diagnoses more than 14,000 cases of breast cancer each year and saves about 1,400 lives each year, but in 2008 more than a quarter of women failed to take up the opportunity to be screened.
Guests at the event included one of the winners of this week’s Pride of Britain awards, 23-year-old Kristin Hallenga, who launched a breast cancer awareness campaign, Coppa Feel, while fighting the disease herself.
Speaking at the reception, Gordon Brown said:
“Everybody who is here has done something amazing. Everybody who is here has either by their inspiration or their research or their fundraising or their general support for people done something to beat cancer. I think we are all here for a common purpose; that by working together we can be the generation that beats cancer.”
Geri Halliwell and Cherie Booth, who are patrons of the charity Breast Cancer Care, Radio 1 DJ Edith Bowman and former sprinter Linford Christie were also among the guests.
Last week, the Prime Minister also announced plans to offer all patients the right to cancer tests and results within one week.
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