Get Over It: Why Talking About Poo Could Save Your Life

Bowel cancer is England’s third most common cancer and causes 13,200 deaths a year. However, even though it can cause huge damage to your wellbeing, one in three people are embarrassed to talk to their doctor about poo even though having blood in poo is a potentially lethal bowel cancer symptom. If you have blood in your poo or looser poo for three weeks or more, the ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ bowel cancer campaign encourages that you see your doctor.

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow commented, ‘No one likes thinking about cancer, or talking about their poo. But the plain fact is no one dies of embarrassment, they can die of cancer if they don’t get an early diagnosis. If you show any of the key symptoms, tell your GP. It could save your life. Early diagnosis makes a huge difference to your chance of survival. That’s why we are building on the success of our recent national campaign which led to more people getting checked out by their GP.’

As a survivor of bowel cancer, Sharon Osbourne, who is backing the campaign, urged, ‘For goodness’ sake…we’ve all got a bum and we all poo, so get over it! The sooner bowel cancer is caught, the more likely the chance of survival. That is why everyone needs to just look out for the symptoms and head straight to the doctor if you are worried about anything. Early detection could save your life!’

According to Deborah Alsina, CEO of Bowel Cancer UK, ‘We are delighted the Government will again be running their Be Clear on Cancer bowel campaign. Awareness of the disease remains stubbornly low and too many people are leaving it too late to visit their GPs when they have signs of cancer. As a result, bowel cancer remains the second biggest cancer killer with thousands of avoidable deaths each year so it is essential that we keep reminding people of the key messages about symptoms and the importance of going to your GP if you have any concerns. Bowel cancer is very treatable, especially if diagnosed early, so we need to ensure that these potentially life-saving messages are both heard, understood and acted upon.’