POSTERS and leaflets urging people to visit their doctor if they spot blood in their faeces is the new weapon in tackling bowel cancer survival rates in east London.
Bowel cancer survivor, 83-year-old Muriel Hanover of Brading Crescent Wanstead, is backing the campaign after she visited her doctor when she noticed blood in November 2011.
She said: "I knew that symptom could mean something quite serious so I got myself to a doctor very quickly.
"After spending last year’s Christmas and New Year in hospital I am just so grateful to be alive and well enough to spend holiday time with my grandchildren.
"My advice to others is that you must go as soon as something is wrong, you mustn’t be afraid.
"It’s incredible what doctors and nurses can do these days and you’re much better off with them looking after you than ignoring it."
Mrs Hanover was diagnosed with bowel cancer and she underwent surgery at Whipps Cross Hospital in Leytonstone.
Barts Health NHS Trust consultant colorectal surgeon Michael Machesney, who treats patients at Whipps Cross University Hospital is also backing the campaign.
He said: "The good news is that bowel cancer is very easy to treat if it’s caught early.
"Nine out of ten people will survive bowel cancer if it’s diagnosed at an early stage, so it’s vitally important to know the warning signs to look out for.
"Frequently, people find it embarrassing to discuss their bowels but it is a very normal subject to talk about with your doctor.
“Making that GP appointment if something isn’t quite right could save your life.”
The 'small c' bowel cancer campaign launches across east London today with a series of posters and leaflets urging people to visit their doctor if they experience blood in their poo or looser poo.
SYMPTOMS OF BOWEL CANCER
- Blood spots in faeces
- Unexplained weight loss and tiredness
- Pain or a lump in the stomach area for more than three weeks
- Looking pale
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