Bowel Cancer Awareness Month

Do you know the red flag symptoms of bowel cancer? April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and knowing the signs could save your life.

NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) – which organises health services for the region – is supporting Bowel Cancer UK’s annual awareness campaign.

This year the focus is on #KnowTheHigh5, the five key symptoms of bowel cancer, which are:

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

Dr David Levy, medical director for Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB, said: “Bowel cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the UK and if it is caught early enough it is treatable and curable. Knowing the symptoms could save your life.

“If you find that you have symptoms for three weeks or more, please contact your GP. Try not to be embarrassed as the clinician you see will be used to talking about things like this.

“It’s important to note that some of the symptoms listed above are very common and can be caused by other conditions, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have bowel cancer, but it is important to get them checked out.”

Bowel cancer is cancer found anywhere in the large bowel, which includes the colon and rectum. How serious bowel cancer is depends on how big the cancer is, if the cancer has spread, and your general health.

It is more common in people over the age of 50, but it can affect anyone of any age. 

For more information on bowel cancer, please visit: www.nhs.uk/conditions/bowel-cancer/symptoms or www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk.