According to Bowel Research UK, 16,000 people die of bowel cancer every year in the UK and now, the family of a broadcaster who died of the condition at age 40 are calling on the UK government for a national cancer strategy.
Dame Deborah James was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in 2016 and died in 2022 at age 40 of the disease. A memorial fund in her name raised £12m for cancer research.
Now, her family believes that all political parties should commit to ensuring earlier diagnosis and improve access to treatment, according to BBC News.
Dame Deborah’s family wrote an open letter to all government parties
Writing exclusively in The Sun, Dame Deborah’s husband, Sebastien Bowen, her parents Alistair and Heather James and her siblings Ben James and Sarah Wieczorek wrote to say they were joining Cancer Research UK’s Longer, Better Lives manifesto.
This manifesto sets out the measures and commitments the next government can make to help prevent 20,000 cancer deaths every year by 2040.
Speaking about Dame Deborah, the family said: “She smashed stigmas around cancer and was a passionate advocate of the importance of early diagnosis.She would tell anyone who would listen to ‘check your poo!’.”
They continued: “Today, during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, we are joining Cancer Research UK’s call from ‘Longer, better lives: A manifesto for cancer research and care’ for the Government to publish a long-term cancer strategy for England within one year of the general election.
“What we want and need to see in this cancer strategy are more measures in place that will drive earlier diagnosis and reduce inequalities in access to treatment and care.”
The family added that to do this, the NHS cancer workforce needs to be grown and there needs to be more investment in vital diagnostic equipment to ensure that everybody who needs it can access the right test, in the right place, at the right time.
They also urged the importance of earlier diagnosis saying: “In England, if bowel cancer is diagnosed at the earliest stage, around 9 in 10 people will survive their disease for five years or more. This becomes around 1 in 10 when diagnosed at the latest stage. ”
According to NHS England, one in two people will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime.
In the UK the four most common are: Breast Cancer, Lung Cancer, Prostate Cancer and Bowel Cancer.
What are the signs of bowel cancer?
According to Bowel Cancer UK, these are the symptoms to look for:
- bleeding from your bottom
- blood in your poo
- a change in your pooing habits. You might be going more or less often, or have diarrhoea or constipation that might come and go
- losing weight but you’re not sure why
- feeling very tired all the time but you’re not sure why
- a pain or lump in your tummy
The charity added that while these do not mean you definitely have bowel cancer, you should speak to your GP if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms.