Roger Daltrey shares heartfelt message in support of new Teenage Cancer Trust campaign: “Young people are our future”
Roger Daltrey has backed the Teenage Cancer Trust’s latest campaign to support early cancer diagnoses in adolescents, saying, “Teenagers and young adults deserve to be diagnosed at the earliest opportunity.”
In his role as honorary patron of the charity, Daltrey has spoken about the significance of their latest ‘#AndYoungPeople’ campaign, advocating for medical professionals to be aware of cancer symptoms in young people and be more proactive in investigating these when they present.
Daltrey said: “When I think back on my life from the age of 13 to 26, those years were to have the biggest influence on my future. Young people are our future, so imagine being 18 years old and being told you have cancer! This is happening far too often to teenagers in the UK’s National Health Service.”
The Who frontman continued: “Teenagers and young adults deserve to be diagnosed at the earliest opportunity! This may mean more training of GPs to recognise the early symptoms and be aware that this age group can get cancer. Also, the cancers they might have can be rare and extremely aggressive and difficult to treat. Early referral to a specialist consultant is paramount for this group. Time is of the essence.”
He also added: “At the moment, so many young people are missing out on the help they need and that Teenage Cancer Trust provides.”
Subsequently, the charity has launched their campaign ahead of the unveiling of the UK government’s National Cancer Plan, urging Health Secretary Wes Streeting to listen to young people’s voices throughout the proposals.
Daltrey has been a longstanding supporter of the charity for many years and has helmed the Teenage Cancer Trust’s Royal Albert Hall concerts since they began in 2000. Although he no longer books the set of annual shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall, The Who did perform two special concerts last month as part of the series.
More information on the Teenage Cancer Trust’s ‘#AndYoungPeople’ campaign can be found on their website.
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