Jeremy Hunt reveals he had cancer early after discovering a mole that ‘grew and grew’ | Politics news

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Both my mother and father died of cancer in the past decade, and his brother was diagnosed with aggressive forms of the disease. The former health secretary has now called for more research in the UK and says he wants to invest money in the cause.

By Tim Baker, Political Correspondent

Monday, July 24, 2023 15:17, United Kingdom

Jeremy Hunt has revealed more details about his cancer diagnosis after noticing a mole on his head that “grew and grew.”

Speaking to Daily Mail, the counselor also shared how his mother and father died of cancer and his brother was also diagnosed with the disease.

But he said he was “lucky” to catch his condition relatively early on – and now hopes UK research will help “lift the curse of cancer on humanity in the future” and said he wants to invest more in exploring treatment and diagnosis.

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“I had a mole on my head that just grew and got bigger,” said Mr Hunt, 56.

“I was a government minister at the time, not in my current job, but it’s clearly the first time that the C-word has been used in relation to my health, which makes you sit up.

“But I was lucky. It was not a life-threatening cancer and it was caught relatively early.

“I had amazing NHS treatment to get it removed, but I am very familiar with my family members who have had tougher battles with cancer, and I know this is what families across the country are going through. My brother is doing well, but like many families with cancer, it’s a life-altering thing.”

Mr Hunt’s father, Sir Nicholas Hunt, died in 2013 at the age of 82, while his mother, Lady Merrill Hunt, died at the age of 84 last year – both from cancer.

His brother Charlie, who is 53 years old, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer known as sarcoma in 2020.

Hunt, who was previously the health secretary and foreign secretary, said: “My treatment has been fantastic, but I know more and more of us are getting cancer, which is why we need to keep investing more.

Read more: BBC newsreader George Alagia dies at 67.

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“One of the things we need to focus on is early diagnosis because if you catch cancer early, you are more likely to cure someone completely.”

He continued: “It’s about half the cost on the NHS if you catch cancer at stage one or two rather than three and four, which is why diagnostic centers are so important.

“The ability to give people early access to surgery continues to be the most effective way to get rid of cancer.”

The chancellor said that although his cancer was easy to spot, it was the less obvious people who needed to be extra careful.

“You are more likely to find a lump in your breast than a symptom of prostate cancer, bowel cancer or esophageal cancer,” he said. “That’s why they can often be so dangerous.

“Obviously I’m well aware since I’ve been Minister of Health that half of us will get cancer in our lifetime, but the encouraging thing is that this country is really one of the world leaders when it comes to cancer research.

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“We are doing some groundbreaking research here that could remove the curse of cancer from humanity in the future, which is why I support anything we can do to raise funds to support more research into cancer and raise awareness of what is possible.”

Mr Hunt and his younger brother Charlie have run the London Marathon to raise money for Sarcoma UK and the Royal Surrey Cancer and Surgical Innovation Centre, as well as a series of running and cycling runs.

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