Ep 3: Bowel Cancer - the signs to look out for and what to do

Welcome to the Cancer Support Suffolk podcast. 

In this episode we talk about bowel cancer with Julie Steadman, lead specialist screening practitioner with ESNEF (lead bowel screening programme), and she works at Ipswich and Colchester hospitals. She is joined by Rebecca Scott and Terry Hunt to share their experiences with bowel cancer. 

Julie,  how common is bowel cancer? 

It is very common, it is the third most common cancer. We are bringing the screening age down to fifty, it used to be sixty; Julie Steadman 

Rebecca and Terry talk about their bowel cancer journey from diagnosis to treatment and recovery.   

Mark asks Becks - it's predominately over fifty where people have their diagnosis, but you were much much younger than that when you had your diagnosis? 

I knew something was not right when I was thirty-seven / thirty-eight and had a gradual decline over about nine months and was diagnosed a week after my thirty-ninth birthday, I was told it could not be bowel cancer because I was under seventy.  If you know something is wrong keep pushing, you know your own body; Rebecca Scott 

Terry, you were diagnosed 16 years ago? 

I was just over fifty, then the first thing I noticed was a change in my bowel habit a bit more urgency sometimes getting caught out, then I dithered a bit as middle age men tend to. Then I noticed there was some blood in my poo so I went to my GP and was told you're a fifty one year old man with blood in your poo, it must be piles, so I left that for three or four weeks and I thought that’s no right I’m not happy with that diagnosis, There’s a common theme here isn't there; Terry Hunt  

Mark asks Julie,: does it frustrate you that people do not do the screening test. About twenty five percent of people do not go for screening and it is getting worse? 

It is offered to you the screening programme, it's  there for everyone to participate in and is offered to you for free and could save your life; Julie Stedman 

Final words  

Check your poo simple as that! Trust your gut, know your own body, and if you are worried about anything talk to someone. The earlier you can get the diagnosis the better your chances are; Rebecca Scott   

Be persistent if you know something is wrong. Be persistent and make sure the system takes you seriously and does not send you home with a wrong diagnosis; Terry Hunt  

Do not sit on your symptoms, if something is worrying you, get checked out; Julie Steadman 

Thank you for listening to this episode If you’d like more information about what we do please visit www.cancersupportsuffolk.co.uk or call us on 01473 211 884. We are based in Ipswich, Suffolk.

Cancer Support Suffolk is passionate about educating and supporting the people of Suffolk and as a registered charity we rely on donations and fundraising to be able to continue our vital work in the community.

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