Be aware of bowel cancer

‘Be clear on cancer’ will appear on TV, radio and in newspapers until the end of March.

More than 3,700 people in this region were diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2008 (the last year for which there are statistics). Of these 78 were in Luton and there were 29 deaths from the disease.

The majority of cases occur in the over 55s. It affects both men and women and is the second biggest cancer killer after lung cancer.

Spotting the signs early and getting medical advice could save lives.

Key symptoms are blood in the poo or looser poo for three weeks or more.

Other signs include a pain or lump in the tummy, feeling more tired than usual and unexplained weight loss.

Two thirds of bowel cancers develop in the colon, while the remaining third are in the rectum.

Addenbrooke’s Hospital consultant gastroenterologist Dr Ewen Cameron said: “Although the symptoms are always a bit embarrassing and no one likes to talk about it, you can rest assured that your doctor has seen it all before and you’ll certainly not be wasting anyone’s time.”

He added: “Even if you have one or more of these symptoms, the chances are you don’t have bowel cancer. But it’s best to be safe as we don’t want to miss it.”

The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme for people in their 60s is now fully rolled out.

If the cancer is caught early, more than 90 per cent survive for at least five year. But this drops to just six per cent for those diagnosed at a late stage.

Cancer Research UK chief executive Dr Harpal Kumar urged people to overcome their fear and accept a screening invitation.

He said: “Detecting tumours early, before they’ve had a chance to spread, can significantly stack the odds in the patient’s favour.

“The earlier they go to their doctor, the more likely they are to survive.”

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