Health & Safety

Health & Safety

Health & Safety

Be Bowel Smart this April

13th April, 2023

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April is recognised nationally as Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the second biggest cancer killer.

What is bowel cancer?

  • Bowel cancer is also called colorectal cancer. It affects the large bowel, which is made up of the colon and rectum.
  • Most bowel cancers develop from pre-cancerous growths, called polyps. But not all polyps develop into cancer. If your doctor finds any polyps, they can be removed to prevent them becoming cancerous.
  • Cancer cells may stay in the bowel or they might spread to other parts of the body, like the liver or lungs.

Who does it affect?

  • More than nine out of ten new cases (94%) are diagnosed in people over the age of 50, and nearly six out of ten cases (59%) are diagnosed in people aged 70 or over.
  • But bowel cancer can affect anyone of any age. More than 2,600 new cases are diagnosed each year in people under the age of 50.
  • 1 in 15 men and 1 in 18 women will be diagnosed with bowel cancer during their lifetime.

What are the symptoms?

In a recent survey, the charity Bowel Cancer UK found that nearly four in ten people in the UK can’t name a single symptom of bowel cancer. That’s why the charity has launched our #KnowTheHigh5 campaign to raise awareness of the red flag symptoms of the disease.

Knowing the symptoms is so important – it really could save your life:

  • Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo which may look red or black
  • A persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason
  • A pain or lump in your tummy

What should I do if I notice any symptoms?

  • Understandably, people can feel embarrassed about talking to others about their bowel movements! However, it is very important to seek help if you notice any symptoms for three weeks or more.
  • Remember, GPs are medical professionals and will be used to talking about these symptoms.
  • To help you record symptoms, Bowel Cancer UK have produced a helpful symptom diary, which you can download with the rest of the resources for this month at the end of this article.

Screening in the UK

  • The NHS offers free screening to certain people in the UK.
  • People aged 60 to 74 years who are registered with a GP practice and live in England are automatically sent a FIT kit every two years.
  • As part of plans to lower the age of people that receive the test to age 50 by 2025, 56-year-olds are sent the test kit and it is currently being rolled out to 58-year-olds.
  • People concerned that they may have missed their invitation or have lost or thrown away their kit can call the free bowel cancer screening helpline for advice on 0800 707 60 60.
  • Information on bowel cancer and the screening programme can be found at: uk/bowel-screening.

How many people survive bowel cancer?

Bowel cancer is treatable and curable especially if diagnosed early. Nearly everyone survives bowel cancer if diagnosed at the earliest stage. However, this drops significantly as the disease develops. Early diagnosis really does save lives!

Next steps:

Please use April as an opportunity to highlight bowel cancer with your team.