A SCHOOLBOY who survived cancer is the star of a powerful new Cancer Research UK campaign in the north west.

The ‘Behind Every Success Story’ initiative highlights the impact the charity's cutting edge work has had on the lives of people with cancer.

Research funded by Cancer Research UK - the world's leading charity dedicated to cancer research - has contributed significantly to improvements in survival rates for the disease. Overall, half of all people with cancer now survive beyond five years.

Declan Tattersall, aged eight, features in a poster at hundreds of sites across the north west throughout November.

Declan was diagnosed with astrocytoma - a tumour on his spine when he was just 18-months-old. The youngster had been unwell for months, but doctors initially thought he was suffering from teething pains.

He underwent surgery to remove most of the tumour but a small section proved inoperable.

Sadly, a subsequent scan revealed that the remaining part of the tumour had started to spread and Declan needed intensive chemotherapy treatment that caused his hair to fall out.

Happily the brave youngster is now fighting fit and has been free from cancer for more than four years.

The poster featuring Declan is at bus stops, railway stations, billboards, gyms, shopping centres and in the window of Cancer Research UK shops right across the north west region.

Declan said: "It's really cool that people will see my picture all over the place. I loved having my photo taken."

Proud mum Lea Tattersall, said: "We are deeply honoured that Declan has been invited to star in the Cancer Research UK 'Behind Every Success Story' campaign.  He is doing so well and that is thanks to the great improvements which have been made in cancer research."

Professor Vaskar Saha is is the head of the Cancer Research UK Children's Cancer Group and is based at the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research in Withington.

He said: "Research is the key to developing better ways of preventing, detecting and treating cancer. Research funded by Cancer Research UK has contributed significantly to improvements in survival rates for the disease. Improvements in treatment for children with cancer have been impressive - whereas fewer than three out of 10 children with cancer survived the disease in the 1960s, that figure is now more than seven out of 10."

Cancer Research UK funds the work of 4,500 scientists, doctors and nurses and last year spent £333m on world-class research at centres all over the UK.

Last year the charity invested nearly £17m on research in Manchester.

Much of this funding goes towards the pioneering work of the doctors and scientists at the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research.

Please help Cancer Research UK to continue saving the lives of children like Declan by giving just £2 a month. Your donation could be behind further cancer success stories.

To find out more about the different ways to support the charity, visit www.cancerresearchuk.org