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Bowel Cancer campaign

Your poo can save you written on a lifebelt

During August we will be launching a campaign to raise awareness of bowel cancer and how the bowel cancer screening kit which is posted out to people aged between 60 and 74 can help to detect the disease in its early stages...

Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK, more than 100 people are diagnosed with it every day and it is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK. However, if diagnosed at the earliest stage, research suggests over 90% of bowel cancer patients will survive the disease for more than five years. Therefore, the need to raise awareness of bowel cancer and encourage more people to complete and return their bowel cancer screening kits is very important.

Sign and Symptoms

The early signs of bowel cancer can vary and are not very clear. However, they can include:

a change of bowel habit (diarrhoea or constipation) for more than two weeks
bleeding from the back passage
lasting abdominal pain/unusual lump
loss of weight or appetite
a feeling of not having emptied your bowel properly after a bowel motion.

Bowel problems are very common, so it is most likely that these symptoms do not mean you have cancer.

Leaflets will be made available through a range of outlets including GP surgeries, pharmacies, and other community based services. A film will be shown on Life Channel in GPs’ surgeries highlighting the key messages.

If you have any of the above symptoms; get them checked out and don’t be afraid or embarrassed to speak to your GP.

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