Awareness is ‘alarmingly low’

A third of Britons are not able to name a single symptom of bowel cancer, a charity has warned.

Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer said that symptom awareness is “alarmingly low” after a poll found that 35% of people were not aware of any of the signs.

Meanwhile, a quarter of people can only name one of the most common symptoms.

Symptoms include blood in stool or bleeding from the bottom, a change of bowel habit, pain or a lump in the stomach, extreme weight loss and unexplained fatigue.

A poll by the charity on 4,000 people across the UK found that just 2% could identify unexplained tiredness or fatigue as a symptom and only 7% knew that extreme weight loss may be a sign.

One in 10 knew that pain or a lump in one’s stomach could be a sign of bowel cancer, with 13% able to identify a change of bowel habit as a sign.

Spotting blood during a trip to the lavatory was most commonly identified – 53% of those surveyed knew this was a symptom of disease.

Men are less likely than women to recognise any bowel cancer symptoms with 45% of British men unable to spot any signs compared to 26% of women.

Deborah Alsina, chief executive of Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer, said: “Knowing the symptoms of bowel cancer could save your life, but this survey shows awareness is alarmingly low.”