I want to Get Cancer leads to surge in demand for information and support services

The Irish Cancer Society has seen a surge in demand for its information and support services following the launch of its new I Want to Get Cancer awareness campaign.

Since posting the 40-second advert on the Society’s Facebook page, it has been viewed more than 600,000 times. The high viewership has had a direct and immediate impact on the number of people availing of our services.

Our Cancer Nurseline saw a 100% increase in enquiries from members of the public on Wednesday, 4 January (campaign launch day) compared to the daily average.

The top enquiries were in relation to screening for cancer, lifestyle factors to reduce cancer risk, and cancer prevention. There was also an increase in enquiries from cancer patients looking for more information about their cancer diagnosis, information on side effects of treatment and those looking for psychological support during and following treatment.

Furthermore, key pages on our website, cancer.ie, experienced a significant increase in traffic:

• There was a 280% increase in visits to our Reduce Your Risk page, which provides important information on what people can do to lessen their chances of experiencing cancer.
• Our Cancer Statistics page experienced a 127% increase in visits. The webpage provides key figures on cancer in Ireland, including the fact that 40,000 people will be diagnosed with cancer this year.
• Our Information and Support page experienced a 52% increase in visits. The webpage highlights the services we provide to cancer patients, ranging from emotional and peer support to nursing and transport services.
• Pages providing information on specific types of cancer also proved popular, with pages for skin cancer and prostate cancer experiencing increases in visits of 92% and 49% respectively.

Commenting on the figures, Irish Cancer Society Head of Communications Gráinne O’Rourke said:

“This high level of public engagement in information and services provided by the Irish Cancer Society shows that I want to Get Cancer is having the desired effect: people are beginning to Get Cancer.

“We know our campaign has been provocative. But thanks to it, conversations about cancer are taking place in homes across the country. People are picking up the phone and going online because they want to Get Cancer by getting informed.

“We’re particularly pleased that our Cancer Nurseline nurses are speaking to more and more people as a result of this campaign. We know that one in four cancers can be prevented. If, as a result of I want to Get Cancer, even one more person Gets Cancer by attending their cancer screening appointment, or making a lifestyle change that reduced their risk of contracting the disease, then it would have been all worth it.”

To speak to a cancer nurse on any aspect of cancer contact our Cancer Nurseline on Freephone 1800 200 700, email cancernurseline@irishcancer.ie or drop into one of our 13 Daffodil Centres in hospitals nationwide.