A NEW campaign has been launched to raise awareness of bowel cancer.
The NHS has joined forces with Bowel Cancer UK for the drive throughout April which is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.
The drive is aimed at focusing people’s minds on the symptoms of bowel cancer in the hope it will encourage people to be mindful of these and come forward to their GP should they have concerns.
In the UK, someone is diagnosed with bowel cancer every 15 minutes, but the cancer is both treatable and curable if caught early enough.
The majority of bowel cancer patients survive, if the cancer is diagnosed at the earliest stage, but this drops significantly as the disease develops.
Among the symptons are –
• Bleeding from the bottom and/or blood in your poo.
• A persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason.
• A pain or lump in the tummy.
Dr Ian Tait, GP and Clinical Chair of Herefordshire and Worcestershire CCG said: ‘Earlier diagnosis of bowel cancer really does save lives.
“While the symptoms listed above might turn out to be nothing serious, it’s always better to get checked out by your GP if you notice any of them.
“The NHS is here to help you.”
Visit bowelcanceruk.org.uk for more information on bowel cancer and the awareness month.
