Keeping Bowel Cancer In Check - New Campaign For Bowel Cancer Awareness Month

Main Category: Colorectal Cancer
Also Included In: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology;  Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 10 Mar 2009 - 5:00 PDT

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As part of April's Bowel Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM), national charity Bowel Cancer UK is encouraging greater awareness of the disease through its new Check It campaign. Check It will promote key messages about bowel cancer and ask people to: check for any symptoms and act upon them; check their eligibility for bowel screening; check for any family history of the disease (which can increase risk); and check their diet and lifestyle to increase their chances of preventing the disease.

With eye-catching promotional posters and leaflets that will be distributed across the UK, Check It is an arresting visual campaign with a dedicated webpage - http://www.checkit.org.uk. It will target a wide range of audiences, including the general public and healthcare professionals- e.g. GPs, colorectal nurse specialists, occupational health therapists and practice nurses - who are warmly encouraged to display the Check It posters and leaflets wherever they can.

The Check It campaign is part of a wider strategy of increasing the charity's activity across the patient care pathway - in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. In addition to awareness-raising on the symptoms and risks and supporting the bowel cancer screening programme, this includes continuing our activity to increase access to treatments, and helping to meet the needs of the increasing numbers of people living with cancer.

Deborah Alsina, Bowel Cancer UK's Director of Services and Strategy, explains why Check It is the charity's most important campaign yet:

'Nearly 16,000 people die every year from bowel cancer, a disease which is highly treatable if caught early. The Check It campaign is designed to help us raise awareness of the disease and alert people to the fact that if they have concerns, they must see their GP quickly. We hope this will lead to more early diagnoses, giving people a greater chance of survival.'

About Bowel Cancer UK

Bowel Cancer UK aims to save lives by raising awareness of bowel cancer, campaigning for best treatment and care, and providing practical support and advice.

About Bowel Cancer

Bowel Cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK, affecting both men and women. Every year more than 36,500 people in this country are diagnosed with bowel cancer and around 16,000 people in this country die of the disease.

Bowel Cancer

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