NHS cancer advice page sees a visit every 16 seconds following Jamie Theakston’s diagnosis

Searches for NHS advice on laryngeal cancer saw an increase of 1277% following Jamie Theakston’s cancer diagnosis announcement – that’s one visit every 16 seconds across the two days since his Instagram post.

Earlier this week, radio presenter Jamie said: “I have cancer… But cancer doesn’t have me! The prognosis is very positive and I’m hoping to be back with you in October.”

On the two days following his post, analysis by NHS England found that the laryngeal cancer page on the nhs.uk website saw nearly 14 times as many visits compared to the previous 48 hours.

Visits to the NHS web page increased by more than 10,000 – with 11,070 views compared to 804 at the start of the week – equivalent to one visit every 16 seconds.

Changes to your body’s normal processes or unusual, unexplained symptoms can sometimes be an early sign of cancer.

The 53-year-old presenter was prompted to visit his GP after listeners noticed changes to his voice over the past weeks – a common symptom of Laryngeal cancer.

Other symptoms of Laryngeal cancer can include:

• a change in the voice, such as persistent hoarseness
• difficulty or pain when swallowing
• noisy breathing
• shortness of breath
• a persistent cough
• a lump or swelling in your neck

One in two people will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime and there are more than 200 different types of cancer – with each diagnosed and treated in a particular way – so it is important to speak to your GP as soon as possible if you notice any worrying changes.

Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said: “We are grateful to Jamie Theakston for speaking out about his cancer diagnosis and wish him well for his treatment – his announcement prompted 10,000 more visits to our website over the following 48 hours – that’s one every 16 seconds.

“We know that when caught at an early stage, cancer can be much easier to treat so if you have symptoms or health concerns, please do come forward and get checked.

“We know there is much more work to do to ensure more people get timely treatment for cancer as highlighted by the stark Cancer Research UK projections out today so we will continue to work with our clinical staff, partners and the government to tackle this, including through the 10 year plan for health and care.”

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, said: “It is really positive that Jamie’s cancer has been picked up early and that his announcement has encouraged others to seek advice – talking about cancer and how to spot signs and symptoms helps save lives.

“Thanks to the hard work of staff, more cancers are now being diagnosed at an early stage than ever before and survival rates are at an all-time high, so I would encourage anyone to visit their GP if they have worrying symptoms, and to take up screening appointments when they’re invited.”

The NHS is seeing and treating record numbers of people for cancer, with almost 3 million people receiving potentially lifesaving cancer checks in the last year alone.

Latest monthly data shows that the NHS met the faster cancer diagnosis standard for the third month in a row as of July 2024, with more than three quarters of people getting the all-clear or a definitive diagnosis within four weeks – with more people than ever before seen within 28 days.

If you have any concerns about cancer, go to nhs.uk/cancersymptoms for clear, accessible information about different signs and symptoms of cancer, as well as advice on lifestyle changes people can make to reduce their chances of getting cancer.