March is over here in the United States, but in the United Kingdom, April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM).
Bowel Cancer UK established April as Bowel Cancer Awareness Month ten years ago. This year Bowel Cancer UK health promotion officers will be going to workplaces and community centers to raise awareness of colorectal cancer symptoms, encourage early detection, and tell people how to get screened. Their 140 person team will be running in the London Marathon and a Bringing Up the Rear Walk is scheduled for April 18th in Hyde Park.
Bowel Cancer UK will also be launching Check It, a program to raise the public profile of bowel cancer and reduce the number of deaths from the disease.Check It asks the public to:
- Check any symptoms of bowel cancer and act upon on them
- Check for any family history of bowel cancer
- Check if they are eligible for screening
- Check how they can help to reduce their risk of bowel cancer
During April, Macmillian Cancer Support is working to raise awareness of the symptoms of bowel cancer based on research that three out of four people are not able to recognize the three most important signs of the disease.
Kim Hardwich, Senior Information Nurse at MacMillan Cancer Support says,
If spotted early enough, bowel cancer can be successfully treated so it’s vital people know what to look out for. We tend to bury our heads in the sand rather than talk about this disease, but being aware and seeking help will save lives.
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