Be Clear on Cancer

At the beginning of this month the Government began its first Bowel Cancer awareness campaign.  It is called Be Clear on Cancer.  I am sure that you have probably seen the adverts on TV reminding us of the symptoms of bowel cancer.  Their website http://www.nhs.uk/bowelcancer/Pages/bowel-cancer.aspx gives links to these symptoms, gives information about bowel cancer and also has some patient stories. 

I was lucky in that my symptoms were extreme, but not everyone is lucky enough to have these warning signs.  These are the symptoms that you can look out for:

• a change in your bowel habit, such as looser poo, lasting longer than 3 weeks
• blood in your poo
• unexplained weight loss
• feeling more tired than usual
• abdominal pain or a lump in your stomach area
• anaemia

Not all of these symptoms mean that you have bowel cancer; I had everything but the blood and a lump, and as you may have already read I was initially diagnosed with Crohn's disease.  For this reason it is important that if you are worried you go and see your GP, if for no other reason but to put your mind at rest.

Bowel Cancer is now the second most common cancer and the second biggest cancer killer, but it doesn't need to be as it is one of the most treatable cancers, especially if caught early.  Nine out of ten people diagnosed are over 55, but as I know this doesn't mean the young are safe from it.  The NHS have a screening programme where a tester kit is sent out to people aged between 60-69 every two years.  So make sure that your parents or Grandparents are using this kit!!

You can find out more about Bowel Cancer by visiting two fantastic charities, Beating Bowel Cancer and Bowel Cancer UK.  They have both been very supportive to me and to lots of sufferers. 

http://www.beatingbowelcancer.org/

http://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/