Download Bowel Cancer awareness month

Bowel Cancer Awareness Month - April 2017
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK. Someone is diagnosed with bowel cancer every 15
minutes.
More than nine out of ten new cases (94%) are diagnosed in people over the age of 50. But bowel cancer can affect
any age. More than 2,500 new cases are diagnosed each year in people under the age of 50. 1 in 14 men (7%) and
1 in 19 women (5%) will be diagnosed with bowel cancer during their lifetime.
Bowel cancer is treatable and curable, especially if it’s diagnosed early.
What should I look out for?
If you notice any of the symptoms listed below and they last for longer than 3 weeks, it is important that you make an
appointment with your GP;
Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your stools (faeces)
A change in bowel habit lasting 3 weeks or more – needing to go more frequently, looser stools, feeling that you
have not fully emptied your bowels
Unexplained weight loss
Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason – bowel cancer can lead to a lack of iron in the body causing anaemia
A pain or lump in your tummy
Reducing your risk
Bowel Cancer UK states that there is an increase in evidence that diets high in red meat and or processed meat and
low in fibre increases the risk of developing bowel cancer.
Try to maximise the amount of fibre you eat (cereals, bread and pasta made from wholegrains) and 5 or more
portions of fruit and vegetables daily.
Research has also shown that people who are overweight or obese have an increased risk of bowel cancer, so it is
important to:
Reduce your alcohol consumption
Stop smoking
Aim to do at least half an hour of moderate physical activity 5 times a week
Keep within a healthy height: weight range (see chart below)
Height: Weight chart
Screening
The NHS offer two bowel cancer screening programmes.
NHS bowel scope screening is a relatively new test to help prevent bowel cancer. It finds and removes any small
bowel growths, called polyps that could eventually turn into cancer.
The NHS bowel scope screening programme is gradually being rolled out to all men and women in England aged 55.
The NHS Bowel cancer screening programme is for those aged between 60 and 74 in the UK. The testing kit
looks for the presence of blood in a stool sample using special testing strips and is returned in a hygienically sealed
Freepost envelope to a laboratory for testing.
Sources of information; NHS Choices, Cancer Research UK, Bowel Cancer UK