April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month in the UK and a number of events and campaigns are being organised to raise awareness of this prevalent cancer, the UK’s second biggest cancer killer. Bowel Cancer UK wants to make people aware that bowel cancer is a very treatable disease and that awareness of symptoms such as blood in poo and weight loss, as well as the courage to go to the GP when something is amiss, is all that is needed to prevent bowel cancer deaths.
Events include patient days, sponsored walks, coffee mornings and pub quizzes. 
This month, eBay will also be offering shoppers the chance to add a £1 donation for Beating Bowel Cancer, a charity supporting those people who have been diagnosed with the disease, and providing information for patients, families and the public.
Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is a major public health issue in the UK despite the fact that diagnosis during the early stages of the disease will prevent the cancer from spreading and gives a greater chance of successful treatment. The NHS offers a home bowel cancer testing kit for people between the ages of 60 and 74 years; participants can obtain samples in the comfort of their own home and send them back to the NHS for testing. If the faecal occult blood test (FOBT) comes back positive then patients are sent for a colonoscopy to assess if there are any polyps present in the bowel which may become cancerous.
For further information on screening for bowel cancer click here to read an excellent, plain English article by Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at the University College Hospital London, Mr Austin Obichere.
