We spoke to Mr Colin Elton, a General Surgeon specialising in colorectal surgery at the Wellington Hospital and Barnet Hospital, to find out more about the importance of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and how talking about our symptoms can help save lives.
Why do we need Bowel Cancer Awareness Month?
As a Consultant General Surgeon specialising in gastrointestinal cancers, Bowel Cancer Awareness Month is a particularly important time as we try to emphasise the seriousness of not being embarrassed to talk about potential signs of the disease.
Did you know that bowel cancer remains one of the biggest cancer killers in the UK and that we have one of the lowest survival rates for the disease in the modern world? More than medical advancements, I believe that changing the way we think and talk about our poo is the most important tool we have to improve bowel cancer awareness and survival rates. The awareness month helps to get people talking about the disease and hopefully reduces the embarrassment that many people feel.
Why don’t enough people talk about potential bowel cancer symptoms?
I believe our reluctance to discuss the ‘private’ areas affected (breast and prostate cancers also kill high numbers) plays a significant part in this problem. Your doctor will never be surprised, flustered or embarrassed about your body and what it does, and nor should you be.
In the countries and cultures where they talk about their bottoms and poo more openly, including Japan, Germany and France, the current survival rate for different types of bowel cancer exceeds 60%. In the UK our survival rate is just above a 50%.
Are we getting better at talking about the symptoms of bowel cancer?
Despite years of trying, we still haven’t been able to change the mentality that patients all too often ignore their symptoms out of embarrassment.
When I was a medical student bowel cancer only affected 1 in 40 people – now it affects 1 in 18. We need to reverse that trend and hopefully this Bowel Cancer Awareness Month can be the start of that.
What are the symptoms of bowel cancer to watch out for?
You should talk to your GP about any of the following, which can all be signs of bowel cancer. If you:
- have blood in your poo, or when you wipe
- notice changes in your bowel movements
- have persistent abdominal pain.
What happens if I have bowel cancer symptoms?
If you have worrying symptoms, never just ignore them. Instead speak with your GP. They would rather deal with false alarms than see bowel cancer go undiagnosed.
The NHS operates pathways for patients with suspected bowel cancer, with surgery and other treatments being undertaken every week.
How do you test for bowel cancer?
There are several tests for detecting bowel cancer, even in its earliest stages. These include the FIT test that looks for blood in a sample of your poo. Everyone between the ages of 60 and 74 in the UK is asked to take the FIT as part of the national bowel screening program. I’m pleased that this age range is now being expanded to include people between the ages of 50 – 59 too.
It’s incredibly important to make sure you do take up this opportunity when you’re sent a letter from your GP. Bowel cancer is most common in those aged 65-75, but when you reach the age of 50 your chance of developing bowel cancer doubles.
How does screening for bowel cancer help?
Screening can improve the survival rates of those found to have bowel cancer by up to 25%, so it’s important to do the test when you receive your letter inviting you to be tested. You may also be asked to do the test if you have bowel cancer symptoms as this may help in deciding whether to refer you to a specialist.
How is bowel cancer treated?
Survival rates for bowel cancer are improved greatly with advanced treatments, which are becoming increasingly targeted and patient specific. There are now specialist colorectal surgeons like me, and we're training the younger generations who are becoming even more specialised in their fields.
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy have greatly improved cancer treatment meaning some patients can live comfortably with cancer many years after their diagnosis. It’s important to remember that catching bowel cancer early on is the only way to ensure it doesn’t spread to other areas of the body. This will make your cancer treatment much easier and quicker and will increase your chances of survival.
What are the most important things to do if I think I might have bowel cancer?
The three most important things when thinking about bowel cancer are:
- Remember to check your poo
- Don’t put off your screening test
- Don’t feel embarrassed to speak to your doctor about any issues you may be having, whatever age you are.
By talking about this issue more, we can eliminate the stigma around our poo and improve our survival rates for bowel cancer across the UK.
Let’s make ‘dying of embarrassment’ just be a phrase, not something we’re still talking about in years to come.
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