Be aware of bowel cancer symptoms
AROUND 1 in 20 people develop bowel cancer. Almost 18 out of 20 cases of bowel cancer in the UK are diagnosed in people over the age of 60 which is why NHS South Warwickshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is asking people to look out for the early warning signs.
This month supports Bowel Cancer Awareness and aims to raise awareness of the symptoms of bowel cancer. The symptoms can be subtle and don’t necessarily make someone feel ill. It’s not known exactly what the cause is, but there are a number of things that can increase a person’s risk such as being aged 60 or over, a diet high in red meats and low in fibre, being overweight and a smoker.
The following symptoms of bowel cancer are common in 90% of people having one of the following combinations of symptoms:
- Bleeding
- A change in bowel habit lasting three weeks or more
- Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason
- Unexplained weight loss
- A pain or lump in your tummy
Dr David Spraggett, Chair of NHS South Warwickshire CCG, said:
“Bowel cancer is one of the most common types of cancer diagnosed in the UK. Getting an early diagnosis is so important and this can often be done in your GP surgery by a simple examination.”
Gail Curry, Head of Health Promotion & Training at Bowel Cancer UK, said:
“We hope that with better awareness of the symptoms, people will be more likely to see their GP if they have any problems, and be diagnosed earlier. There are diet and lifestyle factors that can increase the risk of many cancers, such as smoking and a poor diet, and we recommend that people take steps to make positive changes to reduce their risk."
