Record numbers of people are getting checked for bowel cancer across the North West and these are the symptoms to look out for.
The awareness raised by the late Dame Deborah James, as well as the latest NHS Help us, Help you campaign, had an immediate impact as lower gastro-intestinal cancer referrals across the region in June was up by 8% from the previous month and 55% from pre-pandemic levels.
Dame Debora, known as BowelBabe, died on June 28 at the age of 40 and campaigned tirelessly for more public awareness of bowel cancer, and the need to be vigilant about symptoms. The NHS has seen thousands more people visit the website to check for bowel cancer symptoms each day.
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Bowel cancer is England’s fourth most common cancer, with around 37,000 new cases in the country each year. Symptoms of bowel cancer can include persistent blood in your poo, a change in bowel habits or tummy pain, and unexpected weight loss or fatigue, with statistics showing around nine in 10 people with bowel cancer are aged 60 or over.
Dr Michael Gregory, Medical Director of the NHS England North West, said: “I’m pleased to see more people come forward with bowel cancer symptoms and referred for vital checks, thanks to the brave campaigning by Dame Deborah James. As with all cancers, early diagnosis improves treatment options and therefore better outcomes, so the sooner people come forward the better.
“Although the risk factors of bowel cancer include age, diet, family history as well as smoking and drinking habits, we also know it can also occur outside of these risks and I continue to urge anyone worried about symptoms to come forward and speak to their GP.”
The NHS has expanded the eligibility for the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) - a life-saving home screening kit which detects bowel cancer - to 58-year-olds, meaning more people in the region will be able to easily test for bowel cancer, even if they don’t have symptoms when the test was taken, leading to increased early diagnosis and more lives saved.
Karen Cowely, from Newton-le-Willows, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016 after noticing changes to her bowel movements and breathlessness. She is now encouraging others to come forward if they notice changes with their body.
The 65-year-old said: “After noticing a consistent change to my bowel habit, including periods of not being able to go to the toilet, and breathlessness, I contacted my GP to find out what was going on. At first I asked the doctor to check for aneamia due to the breathlessness but he sent me for a bowel screening as well. Later that year I was diagnosed with bowel cancer and in February 2017, I had surgery to remove part of my colon. I also had six months of chemotherapy as there was a lymphatic tumour that was too risky to remove by surgery.
“It was an extremely scary time but I have ‘a glass half full’ outlook on life and knew that I needed to fight and continue living my life which helped me continue to work, exercise and socialise with friends and family. In 2020 I had more chemotherapy as the tumour was growing and I’m now taking part in the ANICCA trial at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre which treats this type of cancer with the nivolumab drug.
“I’m very happy to hear that the age has been lowered for the life-saving home screening kits and I’d encourage everyone who is eligible to do the test, it’s nothing to worry or be embarrassed about and it could save your life. If you notice changes to your body, not only your bowel movement but how you generally feel, please speak to your GP.”
In order to meet increasing demand for cancer checks, NHS services across the country are expanding their diagnostic capabilities through one-stop shops for tests, mobile clinics and cancer symptom hotlines, ensuring people are diagnosed and treated as early as possible to give them a much better chance of beating the disease.
The NHS continues to urge people to not to be “prudish about poo”, with people often reluctant to talk about symptoms due to embarrassment.
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