Bowel Cancer Awareness Month
Someone dies of bowel cancer every 30 minutes in the UK. It’s the second biggest cancer killer, but it shouldn’t be, because it’s treatable and curable. Nearly everyone diagnosed at the earliest stages will survive the disease. Knowing the symptoms is so important – it really could save your life.
That’s why we’re supporting Bowel Cancer UK this Bowel Cancer Awareness Month to ensure more people #KnowTheHigh5 symptoms of bowel cancer.
So, what should you look out for?
The red flag symptoms of bowel cancer are:
- Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo
- A persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit
- Unexplained weight loss
- Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason
- A pain or lump in your tummy
Most people with these symptoms won’t have bowel cancer. Other health problems can cause similar symptoms. But if you experience one or more of these, or if things just don’t feel right, contact your GP straight away.
Be Bowel Smart
One in three people can’t name any symptoms of bowel cancer. Together we can change that. The Bowel Cancer Awareness Month hub has lots of ways to get involved, including:
- take the symptoms quiz, and then share it with your friends and family – plus enter the prize draw for one of five chances to win one year’s supply of Andrex® toilet roll!
- attend an online awareness talk given by a volunteer with real life experience of bowel cancer
- follow Bowel Cancer UK on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn then tag, share and encourage others to get involved
For more information about bowel cancer and details of how to get involved during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, visit bowelcanceruk.org.uk/bowel-cancer-awareness-month
