North East London Cancer Alliance

09/10/2026

Melanoma cases in the UK have risen above 20,000 for the first time. A mum of five had her life saved after joining a research study that unexpectedly uncovered womb cancer. And every GP practice in north east London is now offering women a self-swab test for cervical screening, removing some of the most common barriers that stop women from getting tested.

Steve Bland and Femi Odewale are back with the September news round-up, covering all of this plus a powerful new film bringing NELCA's Health Inequalities Strategy to life, and the latest on self-sampling cervical screening kits and what they could mean for women across London and beyond. A big month.

🔗 Find out more: https://www.nelcanceralliance.nhs.uk/taking-control-cancer

🎧 Subscribe and be ready to listen:
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Amazon: https://bit.ly/4AT5UZw
YouTube: https://bit.ly/4AXht1W

08/10/2026

Behind every statistic is a real person.

Hear people describe their experience of breast cancer in their own words.

https://youtu.be/5MfZAlguSKk

07/10/2026

🎉 We’ve hit 20,000 subscribers on YouTube!

A huge thank you to everyone who has subscribed, watched and shared our videos. 💙

Our YouTube channel is home to videos sharing cancer information, patient experiences, awareness campaigns and the work happening across north east London.

Not subscribed yet? Join our growing community and help us continue reaching more people with trusted cancer information.

▶️ Subscribe to the North East London Cancer Alliance YouTube channel

https://www.youtube.com/

NELCancerAlliance

06/10/2026

No lump? Feeling fine? That's exactly when breast screening does its best work.

It can spot cancer that's too small to see or feel yourself. Or, more likely, put your mind at rest.

Breast screening saves around 1,300 lives every year in the UK.

https://youtu.be/6a6LJsVJbAQ

05/10/2026

🎙️ New podcast episode out now: Telling breast cancer to do one

Deborah Fox had no symptoms. She felt completely well. But when she attended a routine breast screening appointment, further tests found breast cancer. Her story is not unusual. Breast screening saves around 1,300 lives every year in the UK by detecting cancer before it can be seen or felt, and yet many women still miss or delay their appointment.

In this episode, Deborah joins Steve Bland alongside Mansi Tara and Yvonne Tapper from the North East London breast screening service to talk honestly about what screening involves, what happens if you are called back, and why going when you feel healthy is exactly the point. Deborah has also written a book about her experience, Cancer Can Do One, which she hopes will offer reassurance and hope to anyone facing a similar diagnosis. If you have a screening invitation sitting unopened at home, this episode is for you.

🔗 Find out more about breast screening: https://www.nelcanceralliance.nhs.uk/breast-screening

🔗 Read more and listen: https://www.nelcanceralliance.nhs.uk/taking-control-cancer

🎧 Listen now:
Spotify: https://bit.ly/3VeQIFG
Apple: https://bit.ly/4iLLknl
Amazon: https://bit.ly/4iN4Srj
YouTube: https://bit.ly/4hAa3c0

02/10/2026

Not sure what happens at a breast screening appointment? Here's the short version.

A female mammographer. 4 quick X-rays, 2 of each breast. About 30 minutes from start to finish. Your results come in the post, usually within 2 weeks.

That's it.

https://youtu.be/6SAhNkuAF_4

02/10/2026

🔎 Does a mammogram hurt? What happens if you get called back for more tests? Does being recalled mean you definitely have cancer? These are the questions that stop women attending breast screening, and in our next episode, they all get answered.

Steve Bland is joined by Deborah Fox, a breast cancer patient who had no symptoms when her screening led to a diagnosis, and who went on to write a book called Cancer Can Do One about her experience. She is joined by Mansi Tara and Yvonne Tapper from the North East London breast screening service, who explain how the NHS programme works and why detecting breast cancer early, often before it can be seen or felt, gives people the best possible chance of successful treatment. Breast screening saves around 1,300 lives every year in the UK. This episode explains why.

🔗 Find out more about breast screening: https://www.nelcanceralliance.nhs.uk/breast-screening

🔗 Listen: https://www.nelcanceralliance.nhs.uk/taking-control-cancer

🎧 Listen soon:
Spotify: https://bit.ly/3VeQIFG
Apple: https://bit.ly/4iLLknl
Amazon: https://bit.ly/4iN4Srj
YouTube: https://bit.ly/4hAa3c0

01/10/2026

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in England. But when it's found at the earliest stage, 98% of women survive for 5 years or more.

All month we're talking about screening, checking your breasts and the real stories behind the numbers. Watch and share.

https://youtu.be/RYmwmf8S2Lk

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women in England...

01/10/2026

Deborah Fox felt completely well. She had no symptoms. She almost didn't think twice about the invitation sitting on her doormat. But when she attended her routine breast screening appointment, further tests revealed she had breast cancer. That appointment may have saved her life.

In our latest episode, Steve Bland is joined by Deborah, who has since written a book about her experience called Cancer Can Do One, alongside Mansi Tara and Yvonne Tapper from the North East London breast screening service. Together they tackle the questions that stop women attending their screening appointment, explain what actually happens during a mammogram, and make the case for why turning up, even when you feel perfectly healthy, is one of the most important things you can do.

🔗 Find out more: https://www.nelcanceralliance.nhs.uk/taking-control-cancer

🎧 Subscribe and be ready to listen:
Spotify: https://bit.ly/3VeQIFG
Apple: https://bit.ly/4iLLknl
Amazon: https://bit.ly/4iN4Srj
YouTube: https://bit.ly/4hAa3c0

30/09/2026

🔗 Find out more: https://www.nelcanceralliance.nhs.uk/taking-control-cancer

Spotify: https://bit.ly/4hvmx5D
Apple: https://bit.ly/4izhBxU
Amazon: https://bit.ly/4Ano2dO
YouTube: https://bit.ly/4xVUja9