We are proud to be driving Kidney Cancer Awareness Week for the ninth year in succession. The 5th – 9th February is the week when we ask all our friends and supporters to start conversations about kidney cancer. Make as much noise, raise as many hot kidney cancer topics as you can and bring awareness of kidney cancer to everyone. Don’t let the first time they hear the words ‘kidney cancer’ is when their doctor tells them they have it. If we make people aware of the symptoms, the ways to reduce the chances of getting it through healthier living, and the ways to avoid contracting a disease they may never recover from.

This Kidney Cancer Awareness Week we have lots of things to help you make a noise or start a conversation around kidney cancer from our survey result to Green friday.

Click to download media assets inc’ logos, PR and poster

Top most common symptoms of kidney cancer:

1. Long-term pain in the back or side
2. Blood in urine
3. Fatigue

Kidney Cancer Patient Survey 2023 Results

As part of our press, radio and TVcampaign we are publishing the results of our Kidney Cancer Patient Survey which ran at the end of 2023 on Monday 5th February.

To view our previous surveys, please click here 

James Whale MBE exclusive blog

We are very greatful to our founder, Life-time President, kidney cancer patient, broadcaster, talkRADIO and talkTV presenter and celebrity, James Whale MBE making an exclusive audio blog for us telling his kidney cancer story.

Five daily patient blogs

Full of informative insight into the life of a kidney cancer patient, we are blessed to be able to share first hand stories of the paths walked by five patients.

Live blogs:

MONDAY 5TH FEB – Carol Ann Smith-Canavan – LIVE
TUESDAY 6TH FEB – Louise Gartside – LIVE
WEDNESDAY 7TH FEB – Andy Luff – LIVE
THURSDAY 8TH FEB – Alyson Murphy – LIVE
GREEN FRIDAY9TH FEB – Niki Ridge – LIVE

Meet the Healthcare Professional Team

We are really please to be able to share speicla video’s introducing you to our Healthcare Profssional team. Sophie, Hazel and Hayley. We will use these clips to promote Kidney Cancer Awareness Week, our support services and the charty across all social media platforms. Here’s Sophie’s video.

Go green for Green Friday

We are pleased to announce Green Friday will fall on 9th February in 2024. We are asking that everyone includes something green in their activities, such as wear a green ribbon, hat or scarf, make green the key colour in your make-up (eyeliner, lipstick, rouge (or maybe it should be ‘grouge’), light your house green, bake green cupcakes, recite Green Eggs and Ham to everyone you meet!! Anything to get someone to ask,  ‘what’s all this green about’ and you can have a conversation about the importance of early diagnosis of kidney cancer.

To download Media assets inc Logos and poster Click Me

Want to join in? Download or poster and put it up in your local GP surgery, or your cancer centre, your window at home or post it on social media.

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We publshied patient blogs from Sunday 5th February.

The first is from from Mike Tunstall, It started in the summer of 2009 with a dull ache ‘down below’. For reassurance he went to his GP who suspected nothing sinister but, arranged an ultrasound scan. This showed a tumour on his left kidney. This became his Relentless Monster . Click here to read .

Our second blog for #kcaw2023 comes from Amanda who is 55, lives in Devon with her partner, Leon, and she has metastatic kidney cancer. Read HERE

KCAW WEEK AUCTIONS

To celebrate the eighth Kidney Cancer Awareness Week and Green Friday, taking place between the 6th & 10th of February 2023, Kidney Cancer UK is delighted to be auctioning off four fantastic opportunities. The auctions will launch on February 6th and run for 7 days.

• Meet & Greet with rock star Paolo Nutini in Belfast and see his gig
• Three-night stay on the Isle of Skye for two people
• Special edition hand-signed Andy Murray Wimbledon 2016 picture
• Win Striker the tiger

 

Light up, light up……..

We had lots of national and local landmarks lighting up green to highlight Green Friday and Kidney Cancer Awareness Week 2023 so, keep your eyes and cameras ready for 2024 light ups and share them when you see a lit green building.

Politicians supporting Kidney Cancer Awareness Week in 2023

 

Daisy Cooper MP – Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said;

Kidney cancer is the 7th most common cancer in the UK so this awareness week is really  important in highlighting how everyone should be aware of its symptoms.

“Caught at an early stage the disease is often treatable so if you do show any symptoms, such as blood in your urine, get it checked out by your GP. It might turn out to be nothing, but it could also save your life.

 

Humza Yousaf BPA/MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Scottish Government

I wish you and all of your supporters well this Kidney Cancer Awareness Week – I’m sure you’ll raise
lots of noise and funds through your efforts as you’ve done in previous years. We’ll be turning St
Andrews House in Edinburgh green to mark Green Friday on 10 February to show our support for those
affected by kidney cancer.
We are committed to finding cancer as early as possible which is why we continue to invest in our
Detect Cancer Earlier (DCE) Programme, initially launched in 2012.
“Raising awareness of possible symptoms and empowering people to seek help early is key – keep
your eyes peeled for our new DCE campaign that will launch in Spring 2023

 

 

Welsh Government Minister for Health and Social Services, Eluned Morgan MS, said;

Close to six hundred people in Wales are diagnosed with kidney cancer per year and sadly around 220 people per year will die as a result. It is positive that we have seen five-year survival increase from 53% in 2005-09 to 64% in 2015-19 but there is more to do.

We must continue to raise awareness of kidney cancer and encourage people to seek advice if they have any concerning symptoms.