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June is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month - encouraging you to be screened for this most treatable of cancers, when detected early.
© Danielle Robertson Consulting Pty Ltd t/as DR Care Solutions
No doubt everyone knows of someone who has been impacted by bowel cancer.
This week around 300 Australians will be diagnosed with this cancer and around 100 will die from it. It is the second most common cause of cancer death yet it remains the most treatable when detected early.
These statistics are front and centre in the campaign for Bowel Cancer Awareness Month[1].
Impacting the young
It was back in the early 1990s that I first became aware of bowel cancer. It was when a 20-year-old colleague, Matthew, took extended sick leave. Word circulated that he had been diagnosed with bowel cancer. With Matthew being the youngest member of our team, we were shocked!
After treatment, he returned to work 12 months later - a little thinner and with a stoma bag. Matthew openly shared his story of bowel cancer, a gesture that made it easier for us to give support, get over our own shock, and raise awareness in our circles.
He spoke of finding blood in the toilet bowl after bowel movements and unusual bouts of constipation and diarrhoea. The changes prompted him to go to his GP.
It was a great outcome for Matthew as he acted early. By the end of the year, the stoma was removed and, last I heard, he is a happily married father of teenage children.
Speak with you GP, whatever your age
Of the incidences of bowel cancer I know of, what is disturbing is the relatively young ages of the patients.
The rising number of younger people receiving a positive diagnosis sees Bowel Cancer Australia lobbying the Australian Government to expand the age groups eligible for the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program[2].
Currently, the Program mails free home-testing kits to Australians between the ages of 50 to 74 every two years. Bowel Cancer Australia argues that the age group should be widened to 40- to 84-year-olds. In the US, regular testing is recommended from the age of 45.[3]
While Health Minister, Mark Butler, is reviewing the Program, he sends the reassuring message that a free testing kit is available to all Australians, of any age, at the discretion of their GP.[4]
Know the symptoms
No matter what your age, speak to your GP if you are experiencing the common symptoms[5] of:
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Blood in bowel movements
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Changes in bowel movements
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Unexplained weight loss
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Bouts of nausea or vomiting.
Be on guard if you have a family history of bowel cancer and if you’re a smoker, a processed meat and red meat eater and overweight[6].
This is just another reason to start living a healthier lifestyle!
Need help caring for a loved one? Please feel free to call me, Danielle Robertson, at any time for an initial discussion on how to set up the right care, support and assistance at the right time and in the right place.
Resources
[1] Bowel Cancer Australia: Bowel Cancer Awareness Month & Red Apple Day
[2] Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care: National Bowel Cancer Screening Program
[3] American Cancer Society: Guideline for Colorectal Cancer Screening
[4] ABC News: Bowel Cancer Australia Pushes To Expand Home Testing Program As Cases Detected In Wider Age Range
[5] Bowel Cancer Australia: What Are The Symptoms Of Bowel Cancer?
[6] Bowel Cancer Australia: Modifiable Risk Factors
