Bowel Cancer Awareness: The impact of late cancer diagnosis
Bowel cancer is treatable and curable if caught early. The impact of late cancer diagnosis is more than significant. It could, at times, literally mean life or death.
Radio 1 DJ Adele Roberts hit the headlines last month after breaking the world record for the fastest marathon completed with an ileostomy, with an incredible time of 3 hours, 30 minutes and 22 seconds. Adele had the ileostomy (an operation where the end of the small bowel is brought through an opening in your tummy) following a bowel cancer diagnosis in October 2021, at the young age of 43. Less than 18 months after recovering from this surgery Adele somehow found the strength and courage to run the marathon in record-breaking time, even whilst wearing a stoma bag which she humorously named “Audrey”.
Adele’s (and Audrey’s!) heroic feat coincided with Bowel Cancer Awareness Month taking place throughout April. During this month Bowel Cancer UK launched a new campaign called “KnowTheHigh5” which aimed to greatly reduce the chances of late cancer diagnosis. It details the five most common symptoms of bowel cancer and was promoted with the support of Adele and her partner Kate. These “High 5” symptoms are:
- Bleeding from your bottom and / or blood in your poo
- A persistent and unexplained change in your bowel habits
- Unexplained weight loss
- Extreme tiredness without any obvious cause
- Pain or a lump in your tummy
To avoid late cancer diagnosis, Bowel Cancer UK recommends that anyone with any of these symptoms, or even if they feel things are simply not right, should make an appointment to see their GP, and to return for a further appointment if the symptoms do not improve.
In the UK, bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer, and the second most fatal type of cancer. Every year nearly 43,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK, and nearly 270,000 people living in the UK today have received such a diagnosis. Whilst over nine out of ten cases are diagnosed in people over 50 years old, bowel cancer can affect anyone, and therefore if you have any concerns you should seek a medical opinion as soon as possible. This is to ensure you do not have a late cancer diagnosis which could impact your chances of remission.
Early diagnosis and treatment are essential because bowel cancer is treatable and curable if caught early. Almost everyone survives if it is diagnosed at the earliest stage, but rates of survival drop dramatically if there is a late diagnosis of cancer, and the cancer has time to develop. Whilst it is the second most fatal type of cancer, the number of people dying from the disease has been fallen since the 1970s, potentially because of earlier diagnosis and improved treatment.
Adele is quoted by Bowel Cancer UK as saying: “It took me a while to pluck up the courage to call my GP at first. My symptoms seemed like things I could explain away. I didn’t want to be a burden to the NHS and I was embarrassed. I shouldn’t have worried. My GP took my concerns seriously, put me at ease and also offered me a home testing kit. This meant I was able to do the test in the comfort of my own home. Soon after I was diagnosed with stage 2 bowel cancer, which was very nearly developing into stage 3. Getting the help I needed in time helped save my life. If you’re worried please speak to someone, early detection saves lives and it helped save mine.”
If you or a loved one has been affected by a late cancer diagnosis, or has a cancer misdiagnosis claim, GA Solicitors in Plymouth may be able to assist you obtaining justice. If this is the case, please contact our experienced medical negligence team by calling on 01752 203500 or emailing enquiries@GAsolicitors.com.
You can also read another article about World Cancer Day here.
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