‘Please don’t ignore the kit – just take the test’
TWO people who discovered they had bowel cancer after completing a simple test they received through the post are starring in a new campaign to raise awareness of screening.
Kerry Edwards, 62, and John McSparron, 66, are fronting the Be Clear on Cancer campaign – launched by Public Health Wales and Cancer Research UK – which highlights the role of bowel cancer screening in helping to save lives.
Kerry, from Aberaeron, who runs a bed and breakfast, was diagnosed with bowel cancer after completing the routine kit which arrived in the post after she turned 60 in 2015.
She was invited in for a colonoscopy after the screening test result was abnormal. Kerry was then diagnosed with bowel cancer and treated with surgery and chemotherapy.
Fortunately the cancer had not spread, and Kerry will have annual check-ups for the next few years to monitor her progress.
She said: “I was shocked when I was diagnosed with bowel cancer as I had no symptoms when I received the test.
“The doctor who did the colonoscopy said it might have been about six months until I started having any symptoms, and by then it could have been too late.”
Kerry added: “I feel very lucky indeed that my cancer was caught early, so please don’t ignore the kit when it arrives – take the test.”
Around 2,200 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in Wales each year and around nine in 10 of those are diagnosed aged 55 or over.
Detecting cancers at earlier, more treatable stages is one of the areas of focus in the Cancer Delivery Plan for Wales.
John McSparron, from Milford Haven, also found out he had bowel cancer through the screening programme.
His experience inspired his brother Philip, from Barry, to take the test too. Philip made history last year when his colonoscopy was televised live as part of Cancer Research UK’s “Right Now” campaign.
John said: “When my bowel screening kit arrived seven years ago, I thought ‘What on earth do I want to be doing that for?’ I was busy with a full-time job and I did not feel ill.
“The kit sat on the table for a couple of weeks.
“Then one day I was on my way to go to the toilet and I went back to get it. I was halfway upstairs and I came back to fetch it – I don’t know why but I am so glad I did.
“I was asked to do another test and then I was sent for a colonoscopy and diagnosed with bowel cancer.
“I had surgery at Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest and was monitored for five years. I’ve had clear scans since.
“If I hadn’t done it, I don’t think I would be here now. I am still here with my sons, grandchildren and great-grandchild.
“There hadn’t been any family history of bowel cancer, so I always tell everyone now the importance of doing the kit as soon as it arrives – just do it.”
Stats released last week show only half (53.4%) of people invited for bowel cancer screening return a used test kit within six months of their invitation.
Nicola Smith, Cancer Research UK’s health information manager, said: “Some people don’t return the test kit because they think they don’t need to take part unless they’re feeling ill.
“But screening is designed to try and spot bowel cancer before any symptoms develop.
“There are lots of different ways you could collect your poo sample, such as using an empty plastic container or grapes carton.
“Even if the results show something out of the ordinary, it doesn’t mean it will turn out to be cancer. But if it is cancer, catching it at an early stage could make all the difference.”
Bowel cancer screening has been shown to reduce the risk of dying from bowel cancer by 16%.
When bowel cancer is diagnosed at the earliest stage, more than nine in 10 people will survive the disease for more than five years.
Dr Sharon Hillier, acting director of the Screening Division, Public Health Wales, said: “Across Wales, just over half of the people that we invite actually take part in bowel screening.
“Bowel screening can find signs of bowel cancer early giving the best chance of survival, and raising awareness of the programme through campaigns like this is really important. If you are registered with a GP you will be sent a test in the post when you are eligible to take part. It is your choice whether or not to take the test, so carefully read the information leaflet we send to help you make a decision. Don’t ignore your screening test, it could save your life.”
Cancer Research UK wants to give everyone the best chance of being diagnosed at a stage where they can have treatment that might save their life. Diagnosing cancer at an early stage is one of the most powerful ways to beat it.
For more information visit www.cruk.org.uk/beclearoncancer or ring the NHS Wales Bowel Cancer Screening Helpline on 0800 294 3370.
Symptoms of bowel cancer include:
■ Bleeding from the bottom. Always check after using the toilet;
■ Change in your normal bowel habits that lasts for more than three weeks;
■ Abdominal pain;
■ Acute tiredness;
■ Lump in your tummy.