Campaign to increase awareness of bowel cancer

Despite it being the second most common cause of cancer death in Ireland, one in three people cannot name a single symptom associated with bowel cancer, according to a new survey.

The Irish Cancer Society has today launched a major campaign to increase awareness of the disease which killed 924 people in 2005 alone.

During that year, 2,184 individuals in Ireland were diagnosed with the disease, making it the second most common cause of cancer death after lung cancer.

Early detection of the disease is vital but currently over fifty percent of patients in Ireland diagnosed are found to have Stage 3 or 4 bowel cancer — the most advanced stages which have very poor survival rates.

According to the survey of 1,000 people, 36 per cent of people cannot name one sign or symptom of bowel cancer, while 25 per cent do not know factors which might increase their risk of developing the disease.

Four in ten people believe that people under 50 years of age are most at risk of developing bowel cancer when in reality 90 per cent of people diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2005 were over the age of 50.

‘These alarming statistics, combined with the findings of this national bowel cancer awareness survey commissioned by the Society, highlight the urgent need to increase the awareness of the incidence of bowel cancer, early signs and symptoms and the absolute necessity for early detection to improve chances of survival’ said head of Advocacy and Communication in the Irish Cancer Society Kathleen O’Meara.

The most common symptoms of the disease are rectal bleeding, constipation, lower abdominal pain and weight loss. Anaemia or a low blood count is also commonly found in bowel cancer patients.

At the campaign launch this morning Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Tony Killeen spoke of his bowel cancer diagnosis in October 2008 and his on-going treatment

‘I made the decision to speak out about my personal cancer experience because I know what a difference it makes to catch it early. If I had been more aware, I might have got it even earlier. Awareness saves lives, and I am proof of that," said Minister Killeen.

The Irish Cancer Society warned that in addition to a lack of knowledge concerning symptoms, long waiting lists for colonscopies, the test used to detect bowel cancer, are also contributing to the high death rate from the disease.

“While there has been an improvement in the waiting times for colonoscopies, there are still 287 patients waiting longer than six months for this vital procedure. With more than half of bowel cancer patients being diagnosed very late, it is vital that this crucial test be available within weeks, not months”, said Ms O’Meara.

The Irish Cancer Society has called for the roll-out of a free national bowel cancer screening programme for people over 50 years of age, claiming it would lead to early diagnoses of the disease.

“Screening saves lives and there is evidence to show that a bowel cancer screening programme would start to save lives immediately. It is also the least expensive of all the screening programmes and would pay for itself in five years”, added Ms O'Meara.