Jonathan Anstee, 54, who lives near Redhill, in Surrey, started having a “mild” stomach ache which he initially put down to food allergies. When blood appeared in his stool he found excuses for that too thinking he might have a small ulcer or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
“I didn’t really do anything about the symptoms to begin with,” Jonathan says.
“When I finally saw the GP he seemed rather more panicked than me and sent me off for a colonoscopy. They found a relatively big tumour and things were escalated to surgery very quickly.”
Following treatment, it was found the cancer had spread further to his kidney and Jonathan was told he now had incurable stage 4 cancer. “It was all a bit late to do anything about it,” he says.
Main symptoms of bowel cancer
Symptoms of bowel cancer may include:
changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you needing to poo more or less often than usual for you blood in your poo, which may look red or black bleeding from your bottom often feeling like you need to poo, even if you’ve just been to the toilet tummy pain a lump in your tummy bloating losing weight without trying feeling very tired for no reasonBowel cancer can cause anaemia (when you have fewer red blood cells than usual), which can make you feel very tired, short of breath and have headaches.
The trial on 8,000 patients will analyse blood samples for tiny fragments of genetic material released by tumours.
Asked what impact such a blood test would have had on him Jonathan says: “It certainly would have made a big difference to me. A blood test like this would have been available back when I was starting to get symptoms I almost certainly would have got checked a lot earlier. It would probably have saved my life I would have thought.
“All I can do now is put out the message that for God’s sake get checked. If cancer is caught at an early stage the chances are you’re going to be ok. It’s all about getting it diagnosed before it starts moving around your body.”
“The thing about bowel cancer is that it’s quite an embarrassing thing so you don’t really go around sharing the symptoms. It was something I kept to myself.”
There are around 44,100 new bowel cancer cases in the UK every year – around 120 every day. Bowel cancer is the 4th most common cancer in the UK, accounting for 11 per cent of all new cancer cases.
Last year, the Government announced people aged 50 and above in England will be eligible for routine bowel cancer screening in 2025 as the age for tests lowered. The NHS committed to lowering the age of regular testing to 50 as part of its 10-year Long Term Plan.
‘I’m so proud of her’
“I’m so proud of her choosing to run for such a great charity. She’s a star and is determined to raise as much money and awareness as possible.
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He adds: “Amelia’s message, as well as mine, is to listen to your body and get any niggles, however small, checked out. I ignored mine even though I knew something was up – but I didn’t want to bother anyone or waste their time. Getting checked is no big deal and could save your life – that is the message I want to pass on.”
“Bowel cancer is the second deadliest cancer in the UK, yet far too many people remain unaware of its symptoms. Early detection saves lives and Bowel Cancer Awareness Month is a vital opportunity to change that.
You can support Amelia’s London Marathon appeal here: Amelia Anstee is fundraising for Bowel Cancer UK
If you need support, visit Bowel Cancer UK or contact Macmillan Cancer Support 0808 808 00 00.
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