Call for more help after cancer battle

Published on Thursday 11 June 2009 10:14

CANCER survivors need better support to rebuild their lives after beating the disease, according to one city politician.

Edinburgh North and Leith MP Mark Lazarowicz is supporting a campaign to improve services for the two million cancer survivors living in the UK.

He gave his backing to the call for more support at a House of Commons reception hosted by Macmillan Cancer Support, after learning that many survivors experience emotional problems and side-effects such as severe fatigue or memory loss, or find it hard to get back to work, pay the bills or start a family.

Mr Lazarowicz said: "There are two million people living in the UK today who have had a cancer diagnosis and this number is rising by 3 per cent every year. They will live with the disease or the consequences of their treatment for the rest of their lives.

"That's why health and social care services need to start doing more to support this growing population and why I'm backing Macmillan's campaign to help cancer survivors get their lives back."