New bowel cancer screening campaign launched

30^th January 2012 - People chat about a lot of personal things, but it seems poo, toilet and bowel habits are not among them. Awareness of bowel cancer symptoms is the focus of a £4.5 million government health campaign in England called "Be Clear on Cancer".

Why is the campaign being run?

Cancer Research UK says bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer.

Bowel cancer - also known as colorectal cancer - affects 33,000 people every year in England. Most cases are over 55s.

13,000 people a year die from bowel cancer, but survival is higher if the cancer is diagnosed early. More than 90% of people diagnosed with bowel cancer at an early stage survive for at least five years compared with only 6% of those diagnosed at a later stage.

Estimates show that if England’s bowel cancer survival rates were as good as the best in Europe, an additional 1,700 lives would be saved every year.

What does the campaign tell us?

Adverts will appear on TV, radio, online and in newspapers in England for nine weeks from today until the end of March.

The ads feature real GPs who explain the main symptoms of bowel cancer to try to make it easier for people to discuss symptoms with their own GP.

What are the main symptoms of bowel cancer?

The main symptoms of bowel cancer include:

• Blood in poo (which doctors often call 'stool') for three weeks or looser poo for three weeks or more
• A pain or lump in your tummy
• Feeling more tired than usual for some time
• Unexplained weight loss

Will it make a difference?

The campaign was tested in the south west and east of England in January last year.

GPs in those areas saw a 48% rise in people over the age of 50 seeing them with bowel cancer symptoms - that's around one extra patient in each surgery every week.

What's the reaction?

Three big cancer charities have issued statements welcoming the campaign.

Dr Harpal Kumar from Cancer Research UK says: "Detecting bowel tumours early, before they’ve had a chance to spread, can significantly stack the odds in the patient’s favour."

Ciarán Devane from Macmillan Cancer Support says: "If you diagnose bowel cancer early, nine times out of ten you will live at least five years. Diagnose it late, and it is only one in 10 who live that long."

Mark Flannagan from Beating Bowel Cancer and Deborah Alsina from Bowel Cancer UK issued a statement saying: "If you notice a change that lasts three weeks or more - whether it’s looser poo, blood in your poo or anything else that is unusual for you, go and tell your doctor as it could save your life."