Cancer awareness training programme

Talking about cancer can save lives. Our Talk Cancer training programme gives you the confidence to talk about how people can reduce risks of cancer and how to spot it early.

Learn how to talk about cancer prevention

We use evidence to create positive change in how you talk about cancer and health

Talk Cancer was created by expert nurses in 2012 and since then we have trained over 7,000 people through our cancer awareness workshops. You can be certain that the content in the workshops is reliable, as it is always backed up by the latest cancer evidence.

Talk Cancer training is available UK-wide and will help you:

talk to people about reducing their risk of getting cancer
understand the key messages around cancer awareness
understand the importance of spotting cancer early and the screening programmes available
address the fears and barriers faced by people when talking about cancer
understand how health inequalities have an impact on cancer outcomes
have effective, supportive conversations about cancer and health
encourage people to take action for their health, use local services and see their GP with concerns

Photo of four people in an audience looking ahead and smiling.

Book our Talk Cancer Training

Workshop information, availability and how to take part.

Get a free group workshop

You can get a free cancer awareness workshop if you can help reach people who need cancer information the most. If you're not eligible for a free workshop, you can register for one of our paid workshops.

Check if you're eligible

Talk Cancer raises cancer awareness

What is cancer awareness?

Cancer awareness is when people understand:

what cancer is
the causes of cancer
knowing the national screening programmes available
what to do when concerned about a possible symptom

Further understanding of cancer awareness could include what happens after a cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment.

How important is cancer awareness?

There is a lot of misinformation about cancer. By accessing evidence-based information you can correctly help people on how to take positive action to reduce cancer risk.

Around 4 in 10 cases of cancer in the UK could be prevented and it is estimated that across the UK, there are more than 30,000 extra cases of cancer attributable to socio-economic deprivation(PDF). Increasing cancer awareness in more deprived areas could help to reduce health inequalities and improve cancer outcomes.

Having cancer awareness will give you the confidence to speak to a doctor if something doesn’t feel normal to you, as spotting cancer early increases the chance of survival.

How to talk about cancer

Our tips to talk about cancer are:

ask open questions like ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘where’ and ‘how’ to help people decide on the next steps
keep the focus on the person and show that you’re listening and understanding them
explain key facts and health messages in plain language
offer support and encourage positive action; suggest small, easy steps
signpost people to reliable information and resources; it’s okay to not know the answer

Contact us

Phone or email us if you would like to learn more about how to talk about cancer, reducing risk and early diagnosis.

+44 020 3469 8111

talkcancer@cancer.org.uk

We’re a Health and Wellbeing awards finalist

We were made finalists at the Royal Society of Public Health’s, Health and Wellbeing awards 2022 for our interpreted workshop project in community development.

Being a finalist showcases the importance of how the interpreted workshops improve the health of the community in a way that contributes to long lasting change.