Blog 182 Friday 31st January 2014

It was a year ago that the horse meat scandal hit the UK and Europe. Criminals were  adding horse meat to the food chain and passing it off as beef or other meat products. Today I was speaking to  Andrew Jazaerli, the  Senior Policy Officer of Bowel Cancer UK and the conversation reminded me of my blog post at that time.

I was amazed how fast the news of the scandal spread....It was "Top of the mind awareness" Millions of people thought of how it may have affected them..............

HOW CAN WE MAKE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE SIT UP AND THINK ABOUT BOWEL CANCER as easily as the horse meat scandal ?

The truth of the matter is that generally we do not consider bowel cancer or any other cancer for that matter,until it actually effects us, a family member or friend. Over 40,000 men and women are diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK every year, making it the third most common cancer; that's someone every 15 minutes.

Causes & Risks

Although the exact cause of bowel cancer is unknown, there are certain factors that may increase your risk. In the UK, around 95% of cases occur in people over the age of 50. (I was 45) People with a mother, father, brother, sister, or child with bowel cancer may be considered for further testing. An inactive lifestyle and a poor diet may increase the risk of bowel cancer. A high intake of red and processed meat, smoking and excess alcohol may also  increase the risk

For further information and support please call the Bowel Cancer UK Information and Support Service on 0800 8 40 35 40 or email support@bowelcanceruk.org.uk