Know the Signs of Bowel Cancer

Bowel cancer has been identified as the UK’s second biggest killer. It is noteworthy though that nearly all of these diagnosed cases would have been treatable had they been detected earlier. It has been causing around 16,000 deaths every year, which makes it the UK’s second biggest killer, cancer-wise.

Based on the numbers, an individual in the UK dies from the cancer every 30 minutes. This accounts for about 10 percent of the total cancer deaths in the country. Every year, a staggering number of 41,000 cases of bowel cancer are being diagnosed in the UK. This translates to a person being diagnosed with the condition every 15 minutes. One in every 19 women and in every 14 men are likely to get diagnosed with this condition in their lifetime too.

With bowel cancer,. The key is always early detection. About 95% of cases that have been detected early were successfully treated. Unfortunately, those who get diagnosed at the latest stage of the cancer will only likely have a less than 10 percent chance to survive.

Oftentimes, the stigma related to one of the main symptoms of the cancer- blood in the stools- means that are a lot of people are likely too embarrassed to see their GP. Most of the time, if the blood in the stool is fresh and bright, the bleeding may be caused by a tear in the anus or by piles. Blood that came from higher up tends to be black or dark red. They can also make the stool resemble tar. This is the type of bleeding that people need to watch out for as it can be a sign of cancer.

It is important to watch out for bowel habit changes that last for a few weeks or even more. This is especially true if you end up getting runny or looser stools as this can also be a giveaway that you may have cancer. If the changes to the bowel habits have extended beyond three weeks and there is blood on the stools consulting a GP right away makes a lot of sense. This is especially true if one is over the age of 50. People also need to watch out for additional symptoms such as abdominal pains, weight loss, or lumps in the abdomen. These are often the most common symptoms that a lot of people tend to ignore or fail to recognise.

Persistent loose stools, bleeding, and increased stool frequency means that you are better off undergoing a colonoscopy just to make sure that things are alright. It helps reduce your risk though to increase fish intake, as well as of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. It helps to reduce intake of red meat, fried foods, sugar, and alcohol too.

Watch the video below to learn more.

Remember that the key to surviving such a diagnosis is to catch it early. Learn more about how to better recognise the telltale signs of bowel cancer by reading about Dr Toby Ikwueke online. You can also follow Dr Toby Ikwueke for tweets and updates on Twitter here.

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