As the NHS Cancer Plan is now three years old, the government has decided to audit whether or not it has influenced and altered the experiences of the individual with a diagnosis of cancer. Most health professionals working within the cancer field would be able to identify many areas in which the service has altered, but how do we ensure these changes are always beneficial to patients? Continuing to raise the importance of early detection of cancer is imperative. We are aware that whilst society still views cancer as a 'death sentence' encouraging patients to attend their GP with the first sign of concern remains problematic. Cancer nurses need to ensure that the positive ...