You may have noticed that yesterday was World Cancer Day 2014, an initiative of Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), where its members and partners unite together in the fight against the global cancer epidemic.

Here at YourGP, we continually do our bit to help focus on Target 5 of the World Cancer Declaration: ‘Reduce stigma and dispel myths about cancer’.

Day in day out, we let people know what tey can do to protect themselves, by providing advice on the symptoms and causes of cancer and by highlighting the importance of screening and vaccination.

In this blog post, we will explain the types of services that we provide to help prevent and treat various cancers, including cervical cancer, skin cancer, testicular cancer and prostate cancer.

Cervical Cancer

According to Cancer Research UK, cervical cancer is the 12th most common cancer among women in the UK, accounting for around 2% of all new cases of cancer in females, however the good news is that cervical cancer is preventable.

At YourGP, we offer GARDASIL® Human Papillomavirus Vaccine, which is proven protection against the human papillomavirus (HPV) – the virus that causes cervical cancer.

You can find out more about GARDASIL®, and why vaccination is so vital, in our blog post, Cervical Cancer Week an Important Reminder to Get Vaccinated.

Skin Cancer

Skin cancer (melanoma) is on the increase, and is now the most common cause of cancer in the UK. Skin cancer can develop from lesions or moles and can result from overexposure to the sun, however most cases of skin cancer are easily treated and cured if detected in the early stages.

At YourGP, we use the MoleMate® system to provide rapid screening for melanoma. The incidence of non-malignant skin cancer, meanwhile, continues to grow rapidly and the condition now affects about 15% of the UK population during their lifetime.

We can treat non-malignant skin cancers using the revolutionary Ambulight PDT system. This is a straightforward treatment that uses revolutionary technology. It avoids the scarring associated with surgical removal of the tumour and the need for an in-patient hospital stay.

Testicular Cancer

Although relatively uncommon overall, testicular cancer is the most common type of cancer to affect men between the ages of 15 and 44.

The most important thing to remember is that testicular cancer can be easily curable if found in time. In fact, according to figures released by Cancer Research UK, the overwhelming majority of men with testicular cancer are now surviving for at least 10 years.

This is why it is hugely important that you have regular check-ups, either by self-examination, or by popping into medical practices such as YourGP.

As well as carrying out regular self-examinations, it is also important to get a regular health check, and we recommend you have an annual ‘Well-Man Check’, a comprehensive package of tests for all key male health problems, including testicular and prostate cancer.

If you want to find out more about how we can help prevent and treat cancer, you can email us at reception@your.uk or call us on 0131 225 5656 .

Remember, if you want to find out more about any of the other services that YourGP provide, you can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.