Salivary gland cancer affects only 15 in every million people, but with no risk profile, diagnoses are often late or missed. On 4 October, Salivary Gland Cancer UK marked the first-ever Salivary Gland Cancer Awareness Day, and we built a broadcast PR campaign to help people recognise the symptoms and understand the urgent unmet need. We put a consultant medical oncologist and co-founder of the charity on air across a radio day of interviews, explaining that these cancers have no known cause and no approved drug therapies, and that research is decades behind other cancers. The campaign secured 9 items of radio coverage reaching 2.2 million people, including BBC Radio Essex and BBC Radio Derby.
9Items of coverage
2.2 millionCombined reach
29m 47sTime on air
Coverage highlights
Heart EssexCommercial radio
BBC Radio EssexBBC radio
BBC Radio DerbyBBC radio
Greatest Hits Radio EssexCommercial radio
Smooth Radio EssexCommercial radio
Hits Radio EssexCommercial radio
Listen
BBC Radio Essex · 6m 18s
0:00 / 6m 18s
BBC Radio Derby · 9m 58s
0:00 / 9m 58s
Greatest Hits Radio Essex · 0m 40s
0:00 / 0m 40s
The story
Salivary Gland Cancer UK, Salivary Gland Cancer Awareness Day
The aim
Salivary Gland Cancer UK wanted to launch the first Salivary Gland Cancer Awareness Day and help people recognise symptoms and understand the urgent unmet need.
The message
Salivary gland cancers have no known cause, no risk profile and no approved drug therapies. Research is decades behind other cancers, and now is the time to act.
The angle
4 October marked the first-ever Salivary Gland Cancer Awareness Day. The cancer affects only 15 in every million people but has no risk profile, so diagnoses are often late or missed, and research funding is a fraction of that for more common cancers.
On air
A consultant medical oncologist and co-founder of Salivary Gland Cancer UK
The result
9 items of coverage reaching 2.2 million, including Heart Essex, BBC Radio Essex, BBC Radio Derby.
About Salivary Gland Cancer Awareness Day
Salivary Gland Cancer Day is held on 4 October by the charity Salivary Gland Cancer UK and was first marked. It raises awareness of these rare cancers, connects patients and carers, and calls for better diagnosis and treatment in the UK. It gives producers a reason to cover the subject, and brands with a credible spokesperson a way onto radio and TV.
Planning Salivary Gland Cancer Awareness Day for 2027?
Salivary Gland Cancer Day next falls on Monday 4 October 2027. Talk to the team about a broadcast PR campaign that gets your spokesperson on radio and TV.
