Deborah James’ family issue heartbreaking plea to political parties after her death

The family of the late Dame Deborah James are calling on all UK political parties to commit to a long-term strategy for cancer “to give more people affected by cancer more time with the people they love”.

Dame Deborah tragically passed away in June 2022 at just 40 years old, five years after her bowel cancer diagnosis. However, she spent her final years raising awareness about the disease and established the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK. To date, the fund has generated over £12 million.

Her husband Sebastien Bowen, parents Alistair and Heather James, and siblings Ben James and Sarah Wieczorek have penned a passionate letter, rallying behind Cancer Research UK’s Longer, Better Lives manifesto. They want the Government to present a long-term cancer strategy within the next year following the general election in an effort to “drive earlier diagnosis and reduce inequalities in access to treatment and care”.

In their heartfelt plea, the family expressed: “That is why we are calling on all political parties to make the upcoming general election a landmark moment by committing to a long-term cancer strategy for England, helping to give more people affected by cancer more time with the people they love.

In the letter published in The Sun, they add: “Sadly, we are not unique as a family in losing a loved one too soon to cancer. Many families across the country feel the same heartbreak every day. But it does not have to be this way. People affected by cancer must be at the heart of this general election.”

In their heartfelt letter, Dame Deborah’s family hailed their late loved one as a trailblazer who “smashed stigmas around cancer” and championed “passionate advocate of the importance of early diagnosis”. “Diagnosing cancer at an earlier stage saves lives,” they emphasised.

The family called for the strategy to encompass a boost in the NHS cancer workforce and investments in “vital diagnosis equipment to ensure everyone who needs it can access the right test, in the right place, at the right time”.

This plea comes on the heels of recent analysis by the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK, which predicts a significant increase in bowel cancer cases by 2040. According to the data, bowel cancer cases are expected to jump from the current 42,800 diagnoses each year to 47,700, attributed to the expanding and ageing population.