This April, the good folks across the Humber region are being nudged to tackle the nitty-gritty of bowel cancer head-on. As part of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, the Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance is carting its colossal inflatable bowel – a whopping 2m tall and 3.5m long – to shopping centres and community hubs. The mission? To stimulate chatter about bowel cancer, highlight the significance of screening, and elevate awareness of the tell-tale signs and symptoms.
The inflatable intestine will be gracing these locations in April:
Friday, April 4 – Scunthorpe Central Community Centre, 11am-4pm
Wednesday, April 9 – North Point Shopping Centre, Hull, 10am-3pm
Monday, April 14 – Scarborough Spa, 10am-4pm
Tuesday, April 29 – Bridlington Spa, 10am-noon
In addition, targeted outreach sessions will be held in York and Grimsby, focusing on groups less likely to participate in bowel screening. Bowel cancer, the UK’s third most common cancer, claims over 16,800 lives annually. Although it’s the second leading cancer killer in the nation, fatalities have been on the decline for decades, thanks to heightened awareness. Bowel cancer predominantly affects those over 50, but can strike at any age, with over 2,600 new cases reported annually in those under 50.
The best safeguard against bowel cancer? Regular screening. A home test kit, known as a faecal immunochemical test (FIT), is used to collect a small stool sample for lab analysis. The presence of blood in the sample may indicate polyps or bowel cancer. This year, the age to start receiving FIT tests by post lowered from 54 to 50 across the region, soon to be a nationwide standard.
One staunch advocate of the FIT screening programme is Gill Dickinson, 62, of Hull, diagnosed with bowel cancer at 60 thanks to the FIT kit she received in the post. ‘I had no symptoms at all, so I was totally shocked when the result came back abnormal,’ she said. ‘Thankfully, it’s been caught early so I think I am going to be OK.’
The Cancer Alliance’s Cancer Champions team will host mini online awareness sessions and spread their message via social media. If you or a loved one need information or support for bowel cancer, visit the Cancer Alliance website for a list of local bowel cancer support groups.
