A recent survey in the UK revealed a surprisingly low level of awareness of bowel cancer, especially for a nation where bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer and claims more than 1,350 lives per month, often for the victims are diagnosed too late.
National charity Bowel Cancer UK, which published the results of his study on April 1 at the beginning of the intestine Awareness Month Cancer UK found that more than half of two thousand people surveyed who did not could name a single symptom of bowel cancer.
Deborah Alsina, chief executive of UK bowel cancer, told reporters:
“the results of this survey highlight the amazing fact that public awareness of bowel cancer, in terms of its prevalence and its signs and symptoms, is alarmingly low.”
“we know that unlike breast cancer, ovarian and cervical cancers that have received considerable attention, colon cancer has a very low profile, but still a general waiver to speak openly or to be associated with it in the same way as these other diseases, “he said.
Diagram of bowel cancerBowel cancer, which is also known as colorectal cancer is cancer of the colon and rectum. the colon is the last stage of the digestive system, after the small intestine has extracted most of the nutrients from food that has been through the stomach. the colon bacteria extracts rich in mostly water, salt and some vitamins, before the solid waste is moved to the right, awaiting evacuation. the rectum, which is about 12 cm long, is the final section of the intestine, just above the anus.
In the UK, colon cancer is one of the top three most common cancers diagnosed in men and women, but almost three-quarters of the women included in the survey did not recognize the disease as one of the three types of most prevalent cancer in women.
Alsina said there is a need to raise the profile of bowel cancer as a major concern for cancer in the UK, so everyone is aware of the symptoms and visits to their GP if they have had symptoms for four weeks or more.Signs and symptoms of bowel cancerIf you have any of the following symptoms for more than three or four weeks, you are advised to talk to your GP – it could save your life:
* changes in bowel habits, such as loose stools, diarrhea, constipation, or change of pace as more or less often than usual.
Blood in the stool or bleeding from the bottom or anus.
* A sore or lump in the abdomen or belly area.
Weight loss and / or feeling tired, fatigued for no apparent reason.
People often put off going to the doctor about these symptoms, you may be embarrassed or unwilling to consider that he might have cancer, or think that it is nothing serious and feel a little silly about raising your GP.
In fact, the problems of the bowel (colon and rectum) are common, and in most cases the symptoms are not bowel cancer.
So you better go and feel a little silly or face the fear, knowing that it is better to rule out bowel cancer first, not last.
This is because colon cancer is very treatable if detected at an early stage, to the point that about 90% of colon cancer patients diagnosed before the cancer has spread beyond the lining of the intestine, live at least five years.
The longer a patient who comes before seeking a diagnosis, chances are, if they have bowel cancer, the cancer has spread to other parts. Survival rates much lower when colon cancer is diagnosed at later stages.
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