A MOBILE support 'iVan' rolled into town on Tuesday to offer advice to help prevent cancer.

The event followed figures which indicated that more than four in 10 cases of cancer in St Helens could be prevented by lifestyle changes.

The NHS England Merseyside two-year cancer screening plan had already been launched and the day saw iVan staff provide vital information and advice on a number of cancers, and offer free checks.

Recent Cancer Research UK figures show that locally, breast cancer rates. at 123 per 100,000, are fewer than the English average but bowel cancer rates at 53.1 per 100,000 are higher than the English average.

Lifestyle changes such as not smoking, keeping a healthy body weight, cutting back on alcohol, eating a healthy, balanced diet, keeping active and staying safe in the sun can make an impact on reducing cancer cases.

Liz Gaulton, St Helens Council’s director of public health, said: “It’s important that we all look after our health. Many of us delay going to our GPs for advice, basic checks and treatment, even when we believe there is cause for concern.

“Early diagnosis of cancer is crucial and means treatment is more likely to be successful.”

Local GP and clinical lead for cancer at St Helens Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Dr Paul Rose, added:

“We know some patients are reluctant to report their symptoms because they’re concerned they will be wasting their GP’s time, or feel embarrassed or scared.

"In most cases we won’t find anything serious but if you’re concerned about symptoms then it’s always best to get them checked out.

"If you are found to have cancer then early diagnosis could greatly improve your survival rates and avoid major surgery. Catching the disease at its early stages makes it more treatable and could save your life.

For more information about signs and symptoms of cancer, please visit www.nhs.uk/Cancer