I’m giving my backing to efforts to raise awareness of Bowel Cancer this April.
During Bowel Cancer Awareness month, the Charity, Bowel Cancer UK, is keen to highlight the importance of screening as a vital tool in helping to diagnose this cancer early when the disease is most treatable. Screening can spot the disease before symptoms start and can even help prevent cancer developing in the first place by identifying pre-cancerous polyps.
Bowel cancer is the UK’s fourth most common cancer and second biggest cancer killer, with around 17,400 people losing their lives to the disease each year. However, Bowel Cancer UK want to highlight that it doesn’t have to be this way because nearly everyone diagnosed at the earliest stage will survive bowel cancer for five years or more compared to just one in 10 diagnosed at the latest stage.
In Scotland bowel cancer screening is currently offered every two years to people aged 50-74 but around a third of people across the UK don’t complete the test.
I’m pleased that Bowel Cancer UK are doing such powerful work to highlight the importance of screening in catching this disease early so it can be treated. In my constituency alone, data provided by Cancer Research UK has shown that bowel cancer screening stands at 70.4% which is above the minimum set by the Scottish programme at 60%. But I want to ensure that we raise this percentage even higher by making more people aware of Scotland’s bowel cancer screening programme involving a simple at home test. Its straightforward and takes no time to pop the poo in the post as per instructions – and it could save your life.
Remember, as well as taking this test every two years once you’ve reached 50 and beyond, symptoms to look out for include changing bowel habits, blood in stools or bleeding, unexplained weight loss, extreme fatigue and abdominal pain. By focusing on screening, I hope more of my constituents will take part in Scotland’s successful programme to reduce the risk of getting this disease or from dying of it.
