Beating bowel cancer

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Bowel cancer, which is found anywhere in the large bowel, including the colon and rectum, is one of the most common forms of cancer found in the UK. Almost 44,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year, according to Bowel Research UK. However, the chances of surviving bowel cancer are quite high if it is diagnosed in the early stages – which is why awareness campaigns like Bowel Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) in April are so crucial. We spoke to Bowel Cancer UK’s clinical lead, Claire Coughlan, to find out more about this important initiative.

About bowel cancer

“We believe the very first BCAM was in the year 2000, meaning we are marking a quarter century of BCAM this year,” says Claire. “There had previously been an awareness day, and then a week – it’s not known exactly why it became a month, but it coincided with a professionalisation of our services, [which included] being staffed for the first time by professional colorectal, stoma and oncology nurses rather than volunteers.” It is clear that over time, there has become more and more of a need to raise awareness for the symptoms, screening options, treatment and support for those with bowel cancer, resulting in a month-long campaign.

“BCAM is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness about bowel cancer – the fourth most common cancer in the UK but the second most common cause of cancer death in the country,” says Claire, but it doesn’t need to be this way. “Bowel cancer is treatable and curable if caught early – which is why we focus our efforts as much as possible on the importance of early diagnosis. We do this in particular through increasing the number of people completing screening tests, encouraging people to know the symptoms of the disease, and speaking to their GP if they have any concerns.” It is important for pharmacy teams to know the symptoms which may indicate bowel cancer and should be referred, which include:

• Changes to stools. This could be change to the texture or frequency
• Needing to defecate more or less often than usual
• Blood in stool which may look red or black
• Bleeding from the bottom
• Often feeling the need to defecate, even immediately afterwards
• Stomach pain
• A lump in the stomach
• Bloating
• Unexplained weight loss
• Feeling very tired for no reason.

If a customer has exhibited these symptoms for three weeks or more, they should be referred to their GP. An urgent appointment or help from NHS 111 is advised if a customer experiences stools that are black or dark red, or they experience bloody diarrhoea.

#PassItOn

This year, BCAM is focusing on the theme #PassItOn. “We wanted to create a visible, shareable campaign with a simple message to generate engagement. [The theme] was inspired by the story of Craig Allen, who had to be encouraged by his family to take his screening test,” says Claire. Craig had ignored a screening test he was sent at 50 years old, and then when he received another, two years later, was reluctant to complete it but ultimately did so to appease his family, who kept at him. This resulted in a stage 2/3 bowel cancer diagnosis. Craig, now cancer-free, shares his story to raise awareness for the importance of bowel cancer screening. “We want people to pass on what they know about bowel cancer to amplify knowledge across the country – whether that be passing on symptoms, passing on information, passing on encouragement like Craig’s family did, or just passing on your story to help and support other people,” says Claire. “They say knowledge is power, so the more people there are who know about the symptoms of the disease or the importance of doing the screening test, the closer we will get to the day when nobody dies of bowel cancer.”

Be of help

Pharmacy teams can play a huge role in passing information on to customers when it comes to bowel cancer. Many people may feel too shy to arrange a GP appointment to discuss bowel issues, but they might feel more comfortable speaking to a member of the pharmacy team. If a customer begins to discuss these symptoms, pharmacy teams can make them more comfortable by offering to move the conversation to a consultation room for privacy. “As trusted health professionals, they are perfectly placed to help pass on their knowledge, as well as their support, to customers. From helping recognise the symptoms of bowel cancer to encouraging screening uptake,” says Claire. “As well as talking to customers about their symptoms and encouraging them to see their GP if they are concerned, pharmacy teams can also help by displaying one of our downloadable posters, talking to other staff members, or sharing our messages on social media. These are all available as part of our BCAM tool kit, along with more information about the campaign.”