Lifetime risk of bowel cancer increases while death rate drops

kate — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:18:53 +0000

New figures show that the lifetime risk of developing bowel cancer in the UK has increased. Now 1 in 17 people will develop bowel cancer at some time in their lives (the previous figure was 1 in 18).

The lifetime risk for men of being diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK is estimated to be 1 in 15. For women the figure is 1 in 19.

Whilst there are almost 40,000 new cases of bowel cancer diagnosed every year, the number of deaths from the disease has dropped to less than 16,000 people per year (the previous figure was 16,250 deaths per year).

Possible link between gum disease and bowel cancer

kate — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:22:27 +0000

Researchers in the US have found a link between bacteria that is usually found in the mouth and an increased risk of bowel cancer.

Researchers found unusually high levels of Fusobacterium, which is most commonly associated with gum disease, in bowel cancer tumour samples.

Government launches national bowel cancer awareness campaign

kate — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:05:46 +0000

Today the Government in England has launched the first ever national bowel cancer awareness campaign, Be Clear on Cancer.

Over the next nine weeks, television, radio and newspaper adverts will encourage people to be clear on the signs of bowel cancer and visit their doctor if they are worried. The campaign focuses on two key symptoms - blood in your poo or looser poo - and urges people who have experienced either of these symptoms for three weeks or more to see their GP as soon as possible.

Bowel cancer patients denied choice of treatment

kate — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:43:57 +0000

Over 1800 patients denied treatment choice

Over 1,800 bowel cancer patients are being denied a choice of treatment each year, according to new analysis published today by Beating Bowel Cancer[i].

In the report - Equity and Excellence for Bowel Cancer - Beating Bowel Cancer is calling for NHS hospitals that fail to offer bowel cancer patients a full range of clinically appropriate treatments to be hit with tough financial penalties.

Processed meat and cancer - latest research

kate — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:02:57 +0000

A new study has shown that eating just one sausage a day can increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by nearly 20 per cent.

Decembeard a great success thanks to support from Chris Evans

kate — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:09:26 +0000

Beating Bowel Cancer would like to say a big thank you to Chris Evans who sparked a beard growing frenzy last month all in the name of bowel cancer.

When Chris announced on his BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show that he would be growing a Decembeard for bowel cancer we asked supporters to join in and were amazed by the response. Over 70 people grew beards to fundraise for Beating Bowel Cancer in December, including our very own Chief Executive Mark Flannagan (@MarkFlannCEO). Decembeard has raised over £15,000 for Beating Bowel Cancer and the money is still rolling in.

40% of cancers could be prevented by lifestyle factors

angela — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 09:12:52 +0000

A new report released by Cancer Research UK today has found that over 40% of cancer cases could be prevented by lifestyle changes.

The study published in the British Journal of Cancer today showed that around 40% of cancers in women and 45% of those in men could be prevented by a healthy lifestyle changes, including drinking less, smoking less and losing weight.

Cancer Research UK has estimated that around 134,000 cancer cases could be prevented if people led healthier lifestyles.

Chris Evans announces Decembeard pledge on BBC Radio 2

kate — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:40:24 +0000

Today Chris Evans annouced on his BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show that he will be growing a beard for bowel cancer in December. Following on from the success of Movember for prostate cancer, Chris has renamed December as Decembeard and will be growing facial hair to help raise money and awareness for bowel cancer.

See Chris's pledge on today's blog entry. You can hear regular updates on his progress on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show daily from 06:30 to 09:30.

Good luck Chris!

National audit shows bowel cancer care is largely improving

kate — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:58:06 +0000

The latest report from the National Bowel Cancer Audit has been published today. Although overall care is improving for the disease, the report found that patients who received urgent and emergency surgery had had a lower survival rate than those with pre-planned operations.

Currently a quarter of bowel cancer patients are currently diagnosed as emergency admissions. Many of these will require emergency or urgent surgery. The audit found that 11.2% and 6% respectively of these patients will die within 30 days of their operation.

Dietary fibre can reduce bowel cancer risk by up to 20 per cent

kate — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 01:00:03 +0000

A new study published in the British Medical Journal has found that a diet high in fibre can reduce your risk of developing bowel cancer by up to 20%.

For many years there has been a known link between a high intake of dietary fibre and a reduced bowel cancer risk; however there is no definitive research on the subject.

The authors of the paper, published today, analysed the results of 25 studies involving almost two million participants.

Newsroom's Got Talent 2011

kate — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:50:33 +0000

On Wednesday 2^nd November IndigO2 at The O2 was transformed into a glitzy ballroom for Newsroom’s Got Talent 2011. All proceeds of the event which was sponsored by Camelot and supported by ITN, were shared between Beating Bowel Cancer and Leonard Cheshire Disability.

Celebrity guests and performers walked the red carpet and joined VIP guests for a glass of bubbly before taking their seats for the show.

Breathtaking

Daily aspirin may reduce risk of bowel cancer in people with hereditary risk by more than half

kate — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 23:02:00 +0000

A new study published in the Lancet today reports that a daily dose of aspirin may reduce the long-term risk of bowel cancer in people with Lynch syndrome by around 60 per cent.

Lord Crisp announced as our new patron

kate — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:17:13 +0000

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Lord Nigel Crisp, KCB, as patron of Beating Bowel Cancer.

New screening study discusses whether men should be screened earlier than women

kate — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:45:09 +0000

The results of an Austrian study published in JAMA today suggest that bowel cancer may develop earlier in men than in women. Researchers found that colonoscopies carried out on people in their 50s and 60s identified many more polyps, which may develop into cancer, in men than in women. In conclusion the authors suggest lowering the screening age for men or raising it for women to take account of the gender disparity, however they acknowledge that more research is needed to demonstrate the relative clinical effectiveness of screening at different ages.

New study shows fruit and vegetables can reduce the risk of bowel cancer

kate — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:49:14 +0000

A study by the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research in Perth has reported that different types of fruit and vegetables can help reduce your risk of developing bowel cancer, depending on where it originates in the bowel.

Health Minister announces first national bowel cancer awareness campaign

kate — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 05:01:00 +0000

Today the Government has announced it will launch its first ever national bowel cancer awareness campaign early next year.

Health Minister Paul Burstow announced that the Government is investing £8.5 million in the roll-out of its Be Clear on Cancer campaign, following a successful trial earlier this year.

Charity warns wide variations in bowel cancer death rates must not be ignored

angela — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:38:35 +0000

FIGURES SHOW WIDE VARIATIONS IN BOWEL CANCER DEATH RATES

Beating Bowel Cancer calculates that over 5,000 lives could be saved every year

Figures issued today reveal that bowel cancer death rates vary significantly across the UK, depending on where you live.

NICE rejects three bowel cancer drugs

angela — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 09:14:14 +0000

Today the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) announced that the drugs Avastin, Erbitux and Vectibix will not be routinely available on the NHS for people with metastic bowel cancer. Metastatic Bowel Cancer is when the primary cancer has spread to other parts of the body, such a the liver and other organs.

In draft guidance, NICE said it did not have enough clear evidence to recommend Erbitux, Avastin or Vectibix for patients whose colorectal cancer has progressed and spread after first-line chemotherapy treatment.

New figures show bowel cancer awareness is still too low

kate — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 08:34:38 +0000

Results of a new survey published today in BMC Cancer show an alarming lack of awareness of bowel cancer. The survey which was funded by Cancer Research UK found that a quarter of people were unaware of any symptoms less than one in 10 able were able to name anything other than changing bowel habits and blood in stools.

GP letter increases bowel cancer screening uptake

kate — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 08:59:25 +0000

Findings from a new study suggest that people are more likely to take part in bowel cancer screening if they are sent a letter of endorsement from their GP.

Researchers from the University of Oxford found that people sent information on screening along with a letter from their GP advising them to take part were 10% more likely to complete the screening test kit.

Read the full article in GP.

New figures show men have increased risk of developing bowel cancer

kate — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 23:02:53 +0000

New figures released today show that men are twice as likely to develop bowel cancer today, than they were in the mid 70s.

Southall MP calls on community leaders to help raise awareness of bowel cancer

kate — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:25:51 +0000

Mark Flannagan CEO, Councillor John Gallagher and Virendra Sharma MP

On Monday 11 July, MP for Ealing Southall, Virendra Sharma, hosted a meeting to raise awareness of bowel cancer amongst members of the Southall community.

Third Sector Interviews CEO Mark Flannagan

kate — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:56:34 +0000

Mark Flannagan, CEO of Beating Bowel Cancer has been interviewed by Third Sector about the communication challenges faced by charities, particularly when raising awareness of bowel cancer.

In an extract from the interivew, Mark Flannagan says "Bowel Cancer is probably one of the last taboos in society. It's about bottoms and poo, which are not subjects we like to talk about at the dinner table."

Ethnic Minorities Cancer Awareness Week

kate — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 23:01:00 +0000

Ethnic Minority Cancer Awareness Week (EMCAW)is taking place between 11th and 17th of July 2011. The theme for this year is increasing awareness and early diagnosis of cancer among ethnic minority communities and groups.

EMCAW is one week each year dedicated to raising awareness of cancer within ethnic minority communities in Britain.

Our Spotlight on Screening campaign wins Communiqué Award

angela — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 08:44:11 +0000

We are delighted to have won a Communiqué Award for our Spotlight on Screening campaign.

NHS Eastern & Coastal Kent are Talkin Bout Your Generation with the launch of a new film

kate — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:53:31 +0000

As part of our partnership working programme we are supporting NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent's Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation campaign, which targets the over 50s as the group most at risk from bowel cancer. As part of the campaign a new online film to promote bowel cancer awareness has been launched this week.

Campaigner Dafydd Jones wins Southwark Stars Volunteer of the Year

kate — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 13:35:46 +0000

Volunteer, fundraiser and bowel cancer campaigner Dafydd Jones has been named as Southwark Stars Volunteer of the Year 2011. Dafydd was presented the award by Southwark MP Simon Hughes on Thursday 9 June at Southwark Council’s Head Office in recognition of his passion to help raise awareness of bowel cancer, particularly amongst younger people.

New report strengthens evidence linking diet and bowel cancer

kate — Mon, 23 May 2011 08:28:54 +0000

Today the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has published a new report about bowel cancer and diet. The report confirms that a high intake of red and processed meat increases a person's risk of developing bowel cancer, and presents stronger evidence that a diet high in fibre can protect against bowel cancer.

New data shows worrying differences in survival after bowel cancer surgery

kate — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 08:00:00 +0000

New data published today in GUT shows that the survival rate for bowel cancer surgery varies widely between hospitals in England. Overall just under 7 per cent of the 160,920 who had surgery for bowel cancer from 1998 to 2006 died within 30 days of the operation, but some hospitals had much higher mortality rates. Looking at data for the last three years of the study, five hospital trusts had significantly higher death rates and three had significantly lower ones.

FlexiSig screening approved by National Screening Committee

angela — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 08:58:26 +0000

Today the UK National Screening Committee has recommended that Flexible Sigmoidoscopy (FlexiSig) should be introduced to the national screening programme for bowel cancer. This follows the Government's announcement last October that it intended to invest £65m for the introduction of this new screening technology.

Research shows that one off screening with FlexiSig between the ages of 55 and 64 can reduce the incidence of bowel cancer by a third and reduce deaths from the disease by up to 43%.

The Bottom Line is Third Sector's Digital Campaign of the Week

angela — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 10:18:45 +0000

Our new digital campaign The Bottom Line has been named as Third Sector's digital campaign of the week.

April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month!

angela — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 09:06:44 +0000

This Bowel Cancer Awareness Month this April, we are asking people to do just one thing to protect themselves from the UK’s second biggest cancer killer; learn the symptoms and act upon them.

Today Beating Bowel Cancer has released new data that shows an alarming lack of awareness of the symptoms of bowel cancer. Over half of men (52%), and less than a third of women (29%), claim not to know any of the symptoms of bowel cancer, and when questioned, fewer than a third of people (32%) in Britain were able to name two or more symptoms.

Exclusive interview - Professor Sir Mike Richards CBE, National Cancer Director

angela — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:50:59 +0000

Q1. You’ve been National Cancer Director for 11 years; tell us what changes you have seen in bowel cancer outcomes over the last decade?

I have no doubt that over the last decade there have been major improvements for patients with bowel cancer in both services and outcomes.

Beating Bowel Cancer launches new website

angela — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:23:22 +0000

Today sees the launch of our innovative new website that we hope will enable us to engage with even more people affected by bowel cancer. The new website, which is launching in time for Bowel Cancer Awareness Month in April, was designed to help bring the Beating Bowel Cancer’s social media and online communities together in one place.

Charlie Thom talks to Newsround about his father's diagnosis

angela — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:11:44 +0000

Charlie Thom (11) the son of Andy, our Patient Voice, talks to BBC Newsround about how he coped with his Dad's cancer diagnosis. Andy Thom is running the Virgin London Marathon on April 17th in support of Beating Bowel Cancer. You can watch the interview here http://bbc.in/hUCZM8.

You can read Andy's story in patients' stories

New study show regular exercise may reduce bowel cancer risk by a third

angela — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:45:44 +0000

According to new research published in the British Journal of Cancer today, people with an active lifestyle are three times less likely to develop polyps that can turn into bowel cancer.

Lead researcher Professor Kathleen Wolin, who is based at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, US, said: “We've long known that an active lifestyle can protect against bowel cancer, but this study is the first to look at all the available evidence and show that a reduction in bowel polyps is the most likely explanation for this.”

DH issues new recommendations for red meat intake

angela — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 17:58:20 +0000

Today the Department of Health have published new recommendations for the amount of red and processed meat people should be eating to reduce their risk of developing bowel cancer. People who eat a lot of red and processed meat should reduce their intake to 70g per day, which is the equivalent of one small beef burger.