Butterfly Thyroid Cancer Trust: Thyroid Cancer Awareness Day 24 September 2011

Neck Check 2011

Sophie Gradon, former Miss Great Britain and Miss Newcastle, is the face of Butterfly's Thyroid Cancer Awareness campaign

Update

At the beginning of 2011 Butterfly Thyroid Cancer Trust decided to host the first ever Thyroid Cancer Awareness Campaign in the UK: ‘Neck Check 2011’. The main objective was to raise awareness of this rare disease which is now one of the fastest increasing cancers globally. Various methods were to be utilised:

Production of promotional video for TV
Advertising campaign involving TV, Radio and Press
Development of dedicated Micro site
Production of promotional goods
Information leaflets
Banners, posters, power flags, and tee shirts

I am pleased to report that all elements came to fruition. The beautiful but hard-hitting video can be viewed above or on the dedicated awareness campaign website.

A promotional wall was produced for use on Neck Check day in the largest shopping mall in Europe along with power flags, pull up banners and balloons. 3,000 information leaflets were disseminated in the mall, hospitals and GP surgeries. Everyone involved wore a Neck Check tee shirt.

We hoped that due to a robust advertising campaign involving TV, radio and the press that we would have a good response from the public on Neck Check day, 24 September 2011, but none of us were prepared for the phenomenal response that occurred.

At eight in the morning a queue began to form in the mall and by 9 am this was 300 deep. This was the case at all times throughout the day and people waited on average 90 minutes to have their neck examined by one of the 12 leading thyroid cancer clinicians who worked voluntarily until 5 pm.

A massive 1,000 necks were checked and 40 people were identified as requiring referral for further investigations such as ultrasound and biopsy.
A one-off fast track clinic was set up for these people in order that they could be seen within two weeks. We are still following their progress through the diagnostic process though many of those referred are not in our region.

We can safely conclude that our campaign was a massive success and that our objective was attained. Calls to the dedicated help line increased fourfold.
The video was viewed on YouTube four times more than the US campaign video which is amazing considering the difference in population size.

Please enjoy the photographs from the event!

Kate Farnell.
CEO, Butterfly Thyroid Cancer Trust
President, Thyroid Cancer Alliance

Watch Tyne Tees Regional News coverage of the awareness campaign

Check your Necks

Listen to Kate Farnell talking to Metro Radio's Chloe Shearer:

Listen again to BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour item on Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer affects three times as many women as men and there are currently about two thousand new cases each year. Although it's a relatively rare condition, the numbers diagnosed are increasing.

So what is thyroid cancer, and how is it detected and treated? Jenni is joined by Laura Moss, who is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist at Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff and by Helen Hobrough the Chair of The Thyroid Cancer Support Group in Wales.
(September 2011)

Free check-ups in Metrocentre look for thyroid problems
"Hundreds of people are getting free check-ups in Newcastle's Metrocentre as part of the UK's first Thyroid Cancer Awareness Week."
(BBC News Tyne & Wear, September 2011)

Shoppers to be given vital cancer checks
"A Wearside surgeon will be among those taking part in a series of cancer check clinics."
(Sunderland Echo, September 2011)

Neck check to save a life
"The Butterfly Cancer Trust, so named because the thyroid gland is the shape of a butterfly, aims to highlight the importance of getting any lumps in the neck checked out."
(Morpeth Herald, September 2011)