This is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, and people in Wolverhampton are being reminded of the symptoms – and the importance of regular screening.
The earlier bowel cancer is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat. The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is available once every two years to everyone aged 50 to 74 who is registered with a GP. Screening is used to detect bowel cancer when it is at an early stage in people with no symptoms, which is when treatment is more likely to be effective.
Screening can also find polyps – abnormal clumps of cells in the bowel which could develop into cancer over time, and which can easily be removed. Residents will automatically be sent a screening kit so they can complete the test in the privacy of their own home, and the results will determine whether further tests are required. People who are eligible but have not received a kit are asked to call the Bowel Cancer Screening Helpline on 0800 707 6060 or the local bowel cancer screening team on 01902 695193. Anyone who isn't registered with a GP can find out how to do so at www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps.
Bowel cancer can affect anyone, whatever their age, gender or ethnicity. Symptoms can include bleeding from your bottom, blood in your poo, a change in your pooing habits such as going more or less often or having diarrhoea or constipation, losing weight but you’re not sure why, feeling very tired all the time for no reason, or a pain or lump in your tummy. Having these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean you have bowel cancer, but it’s still important to find out what’s causing them.
The risk of developing bowel cancer can be reduced by cutting down on red and processed meats, eating five or more portions of fruit and vegetables every day, keeping to a healthy weight, exercising regularly, stopping smoking and reducing alcohol intake. John Denley, Wolverhampton’s Director of Public Health, said: “Bowel cancer is an aggressive form of cancer which still claims the lives of thousands of people every year.
“Early diagnosis is crucial for increasing the survival rate – and when cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, people have a much higher chance of successful treatment than those whose cancer has become more widespread. That's why, this Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, we are asking people to make sure they recognise the symptoms of bowel cancer, and understand the importance of regular screening. It’s really important that people take up the free screening offer, and I would urge everyone who receives a kit to complete the test – and to call the Bowel Cancer Screening Helpline or speak to their GP if they need any help doing so.”
People who are not eligible for screening, but have concerns that something is not quite right, should speak to their GP as soon as possible. To find out more about Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, which runs throughout April and is organised by the charity Bowel Cancer UK, visit www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk.
