THE fight against cancer was on the agenda when Ayr election candidate Jennifer Dunn visited one of her local Cancer Research UK shop in Ayr last week.

With the countdown to the Scottish Parliamentary Election under way, the SNP candidate was at the Ayr shop to lend their support to Cancer Research UK’s ‘Scotland vs Cancer’ campaign.

The campaign asks candidates to back a vital measure to ensure cancer patients have quick access to vital cancer tests.

It is important that cancers are diagnosed earlier in Scotland – the earlier a person’s cancer is diagnosed, the better chance they have of successful treatment.

Thanks to research, survival rates have doubled in the UK in the last forty years. But with more and more people being diagnosed, Cancer Research UK says determined political action is urgently needed to save more lives.

Jennifer Dunn said: “We must not underestimate the devastating impact that cancer will have on families in Ayr now and in the future. The good news is cutting-edge research carried out by charities like Cancer Research UK is turning the tables on the disease, but it is clear there is a critical role for politicians to play in helping to detect cancer earlier.

“I was delighted when Nicola Sturgeon announced in her address to SNP conference that, if re-elected, the SNP are going to invest more in cancer treatment. I also met with the Cancer Research UK team at conference to learn more about their campaign.”

“The political drive to beat cancer must match the pace of progress in research. That’s why I’m backing the ‘Scotland vs Cancer’ campaign and joining the fight to beat cancer sooner.”

For more information and ways to get involved in the campaign, visit cruk.org/devolved-elections-2016 or join the conversation on twitter #ScotlandVsCancer.