Foyle MP Mark Durkan is “lift the lid” on bowel cancer in Derry in an effort to raise awareness of the disease in his home town.
Foyle MP Mark Durkan is to “lift the lid” on bowel cancer in Derry.
Speaking after attending a reception at Westminster in London hosted by the charity Beating Bowel Cancer, the SDLP representative early detection of the disease was vital.
Bowel cancer is Britain’s second biggest cancer killer with over 100 people being diagnosed with the condition every day.
At the Beating Bowel Cancer reception, Mr Durkan heard about the charity’s action plan and the steps needed to significantly improve awareness, diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
Speaking afterwards, he said: “There needs to be a continued focus on bowel cancer as it’s such an important health issue. I’ll be ‘lifting the lid’ on bowel cancer to help raise awareness in my constituency. Knowing the symptoms and getting help early is vital, which is why I’m pleased to support Beating Bowel Cancer.”
Mark Flannagan, chief executive of the charity Beating Bowel Cancer, said if diagnosed and treated early, the vast majority of people could be cured.
He added: “Over 90% of people diagnosed with stage one bowel cancer will be alive five years later. Improving bowel cancer outcomes are everyone’s responsibility and at Beating Bowel Cancer, we are determined to play our part.
“We need to ensure that bowel cancer is kept high on the political agenda because we know we can save lives. By working together, we have the chance to make bowel cancer a rare cancer killer instead of a common cancer killer within the life of the next government.”
To find out more about bowel cancer please visit the charity’s website www.beatingbowelcancer.org
ABOUT BOWEL CANCER
:: Just under 16,000 (15,708) people die from bowel cancer each year in Britain – that’s a life every 32 minutes
:: Over 40,000 (40,695) people are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year – that’s one every 13 minutes
:: Over 93% of people diagnosed with bowel cancer at an early stage survive for at least five years compared to less than 7% of those diagnosed at a late stage
:: Five-year survival rates for bowel cancer have doubled over the last 40 years
:: More than eight in 10 cases of bowel cancer occur in people aged 60 or over, but bowel cancer can affect people of all ages.
SYMPTOMS OF BOWEL CANCER
Beating Bowel Cancer advises people to go to their GP if they have any of the following symptoms for three weeks or more:
:: A change in bowel habit
:: Bleeding from the bottom or blood in your bowel motions
:: Pain in your abdomen
:: Lump in your abdomen
:: Unexplained weight loss
:: Unexplained tiredness, dizziness or breathlessness
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