“Know the signs of Bowel Cancer and Check it” is the message coming from healthcare experts at St Mary’s Hospital during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.
The main theme of the awareness campaign is ‘Check It’.
If you have concerns about what’s happening down below, then make sure you get checked out by your GP before it’s too late.
As well as ‘checking it’, the public are also encouraged to make changes to their diets and lifestyles to help lower their risk of developing the disease.
Jo Hanks, Colorectal Clinical Nurse Specialist at St. Mary’s Hospital said:
“Around 120 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year on the Island. We all know our bodies and know when things aren’t normal for us. Having symptoms doesn’t always mean cancer however, unfortunately, sometimes it does.
“Knowing the signs and getting checked by your GP at an early stage is important. Bowel cancer is a treatable disease if diagnosed early. The sooner the diagnosis, the earlier we can start treatment and the better the patient’s chances are of making a good recovery.”
If you want to learn more about the risks and signs of bowl cancer then pop along to the main foyer at St. Mary’s Hospital on Friday 17 April between 10.00 -11.30am where experts can offer information and advice.
Apparently eight out of ten cases of bowel cancer strike the over 60s so as the Island is heavily populated with retired folk, it’s all the more important to get the message out there.
Understanding the signs
Things to look for if you’re worried about bowel cancer:
· a persistent change in bowel habits which continues for a few weeks (usually to looser stools) and does not return to normal
· rectal bleeding with no other related symptoms ( i.e. pain and itching) or blood mixed in your stools
· unexplained anaemia and overwhelming tiredness
· a feeling of incomplete bowel emptying
· a severe pain / lump or continuing discomfort in your abdomen especially after eating
If you do go along to St Mary’s on the 17th, don’t forget to say where you heard about it.
For more information about Bowel Cancer contact the excellent Bowel Cancer UK:
Tel: 020 7381 9711
Address: 7 Rickett Street, London, SW6 1RU
Website: www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk
Bowel Cancer Advisory Service: 0800 8 40 35 40
Image: ginnerobot
