In the UK April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.
The second biggest killer cancer in the UK is Bowel cancer. However, it is treatable and curable, particularly when diagnosed at an early stage. Bowel cancer is cancer found anywhere in the large bowel, this includes the colon and rectum.
94% of cases are diagnosed in people over the age of 50, however, it’s important to note that bowel cancer can affect anyone of any age. Over 2,600 people each year under the age of 50 are now being diagnosed with bowel cancer. In the UK a total of nearly 43,000 people are diagnosed every year with bowel cancer.
What are the symptoms?
Bowel Cancer UK reports that symptoms can include:
- Bleeding from your bottom
- Blood in your poo
- A change in your pooing habits, going more or less often, or having diarrhoea or constipation that might come and go
- Losing weight but you are not sure why
- Feeling tired all the time
- Discomfort or lump in your stomach
What causes bowel cancer?
The exact cause of bowel cancer is unknown and includes rectal and colon cancers. The earlier it is spotted the more treatable it is likely to be with Bowel Cancer UK reporting that more than 9 in 10 people survive bowel cancer when it is diagnosed at the earliest stage.
However, it is also reported that nearly a third of bowel cancer patients experience a delay in their diagnosis that could have been avoided. A study published in Cancer Epidemiology looked at around 14,300 patients diagnosed with different types of cancers which included 1,600 bowel cancer patients with 454 of those patients experiencing an avoidable delay.
Bowel cancer UK screening programmes
Mass screening for bowel cancer now takes place in the UK with all men and women in England, who are registered with a GP, aged 54 to 74 being automatically sent a bowel screening test every 2 years. There are plans to continue to reduce the starting age for screening to include people aged between 50 and 53.
If someone has been negligently misdiagnosed or diagnosed late because of medical negligence, this may give rise to a claim for compensation.
How can I get involved?
There are many ways you can get involved to help raise awareness:
- Share your story – listening to other peoples story’s and experiences, helps us feel like we are not alone
- Follow ‘Bowel Cancer UK’ on social media where you can see posts to get involved with and this year the hashtag is #OneThing
- Attend an event or fundraiser for example put on a bake sale
- Make a donation
Comment
It is clear to see that if someone with bowel cancer is diagnosed early then their survival chance is much greater than if diagnosed too late, emphasising the importance of raising awareness for bowel cancer.
How can we help?
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