THERE’S a major sign of a common cancer you may not know about that is noticeable when you go to the bathroom.
The Marie Keating Foundation is urging people to talk about bowel health during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.
April is bowel cancer awareness month[/caption]
Their campaign ‘Talk Sh*t – Save Lives’ aims to break the stigma around bowel cancer and promote early detection — a disease that claims over 1,000 lives annually in Ireland.
Director of Nursing at the foundation, Helen Forristal, said that although bowel health can be uncomfortable to discuss it’s crucial for early detection.
She said: “Nobody likes talking about poo.
“But it is important to know what’s normal for each of us, as changes in bowel habits can be a warning sign of bowel cancer.
“Bowel cancer has a 5-year survival rate of 97 per cent when diagnosed at Stage I, but unfortunately, 60 per cent of cases in Ireland are diagnosed at a late stage.
“We need to change that. This Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, we’re encouraging people to talk Talk Sh*t, Know Sh*t and Get Sh*t Done.
“Know what’s normal for you and talk to your GP if you experience unexplained changes in your bowel habits, such as diarrhoea, constipation, or narrowing of the stool for no obvious reason for six weeks or more.
“Early detection saves lives, and it all starts with a conversation.”
Symptoms of the illness include persistent changes in bowel habits, abdominal pain or bloating, unexplained weight loss and persistent fatigue.
And a major sign is when there’s blood in your stool after using the toilet.
Six major signs of bowel cancer
HERE are the six major signs of the illness
- Unexplained changes in bowel habits for six weeks such as diarrhoea, constipation, or narrowing of the stool for no obvious reason for six weeks or more
- Blood in the stool, either bright red or dark and tar-like
- Abdominal cramps, pain or bloating that won’t go away
- A lump in your back passage or tummy (abdomen).
- Unexplained sudden weight loss and losing weight without trying
- Feeling constantly tired and lacking energy, even with enough rest
Throughout April, posters promoting the campaign will be displayed in restrooms and public spaces to increase awareness of the illness.
Helen said that a major goal of theirs is to urge people to seek medical advice if they notice changes in their health.
The foundation is also advocating for a reduction in the bowel cancer screening age from 59 to 50 – as one in five people diagnosed with bowel cancer in Ireland is under 60 and one in 10 people is under 50.
Reducing the screening age would bring Ireland’s program in line with international standards and Helen said it will help detect more cases of bowel cancer at an earlier stage.
In Ireland, over 2,500 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year – making it the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the country.
Although the survival rate for bowel cancer at Stage I is 97 per cent, early detection is essential as this drops to just 14 per cent at Stage IV.
Those aged 59 to 70 are now being encouraged to take part in the free Faecal Immunochemical Test from BowelScreen to help detect early signs of bowel cancer.
One patient ambassador, Jody Connaughton, shared his experience after being diagnosed with the illness and encourages others to act on symptoms early.
‘When I saw blood in my stool, I went to my GP’
Jody said: “I was experiencing cramps every morning for about 2 months and I went to my GP who said it was a digestive issue. She then asked me what I thought it could be, and I thought bowel cancer. She said to get that out of my head and so I did as best I could.
“A week or two later when I saw there was blood in my stool I went back to my GP and I now live well with cancer; I turned sixty-six recently and I am in such good health and spirits, people think I am cured.
“A lot of this has been down to my mindset. I have hope and as long as there is life there is hope.”
Completing the FIT test is an easy, at-home method to detect potential signs of bowel cancer that helps to catch the disease in its early stages.
Currently, the five-year survival rate for bowel cancer in Ireland is 66 percent, and the foundation aims to increase this with earlier screening and better awareness.
For more information on Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and how you can get involved, visit mariekeating.ie.
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