Bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer yet it’s a disease which is often overlooked and diagnosed too late. Every year over 41,500 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer and around 16,000 people die of the disease.

To mark the awareness month, our Colorectal Cancer team, along with the South West London Bowel Cancer Screening Centre, have organised information stands at St George’s. Their first event took place in Grosvenor Wing reception last Friday, with another planned for later this month.

Although bowel cancer affects more than one in 20 people in their lifetime, of those who get the disease, nine out of ten people survive if it is caught early.

Be aware of symptoms of bowel cancer which include:
•Bleeding from the bottom and/or blood in your poo
•A change in your normal bowel habit lasting three weeks or more especially to looser or runny poo
•Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason
•Unexplained weight loss
•A pain or lump in your tummy.

For further advice, call the Bowel Screening free phone helpline on 0800 707 60 60 or visit: bowelcanceruk.org.uk/understanding-bowel-cancer.