Two men from the North West, recently diagnosed with bowel cancer, are urging others to take up the offer of the NHS bowel cancer home testing kit when invited.

Dad of two, Simon Rigg, who lives in South Cumbria, and Robert Livingstone, a grandad from Lancashire, have shared their stories this Bowel Cancer Awareness Month to help raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer, and to encourage others to complete the test when it is sent to them.

Simon experienced symptoms including bleeding last year, and his doctor encouraged him to complete the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT), which unfortunately came back positive. Following a colonoscopy, which discovered a tumour in the bowel, Simon went through five weeks of both radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Simon said: “It was really arduous, but when I was rescanned after Christmas they thankfully found the tumour had shrunk and I had surgery to remove it a few weeks ago. I’m now on the road to recovery, and hopefully free from disease.”

He continued: “The biggest thing I would urge people is, if you get sent a test, please do it and send it back. That could pick up something you were previously unaware of. And if you have any symptoms at all, contact your GP.”

The NHS Bowel Screening Test, or FIT kit, is a test you can do at home that detects small amounts of blood in poo that would not be visible to people and detects earlier if there is something wrong. 

And thousands more people in the North West will be sent a screening kit as the NHS has expanded the lifesaving programme to people aged 54 in England.

Latest North West data shows that 64.3% of 60 to 74 year-olds completed their bowel screening in the first quarter of 2023/24. In the age extended cohorts, those aged 54 to 59, national modelling has shown uptake is up to 10% lower.

Robert Livingstone, who is a grandfather of nine and great-grandfather of four, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in February.

Robert said: “I have been doing the screening for years, but this time I received a letter through from the screening programme which said that further tests were required, and I had a feeling then that it was cancer.

“When the nurse told me I had it my wife was very upset, but I thought ‘well I’ve got it, let’s get rid of the damn thing’. Since then, I have had two scans and a colonoscopy, and thankfully it’s in its very early stages.”

Robert is now scheduled for an operation to remove the tumour from his bowel at the end of April. He said: “Since being diagnosed there hasn’t be a week the screening team haven’t been in contact, the communication from the NHS has been fantastic.”

When asked the advice he’d give to others who were unsure about completing and returning their bowel screening kit, Robert said: “The old screening test wasn’t pleasant, but the modern screening test takes less than 15 seconds, it’s just so easy. You’d be mad not to do something that takes less than 15 seconds and could save your life.”

Dr Michael Gregory, Regional Medical Director for NHS England – North West, said: “Detecting bowel cancer in its earliest stages makes it much easier to treat, so it’s so important you complete and return your FIT kit if you’re sent one, and continue to be aware of any changes in your body, that don’t feel right.

“We know that some people are hesitant when it comes to using the bowel screening kit, whether that is because they are prudish about poo or fearful of what the test might find, but catching bowel cancer before it spreads can reduce the risk of dying and make treatment so much more manageable.

“Although the risk factors of bowel cancer include age, diet, family history as well as smoking and drinking habits, we also know it can also occur outside of these risks and I continue to urge anyone worried about symptoms to come forward and speak to their general practice team.”

Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK. But the chances of surviving bowel cancer are much higher when it’s found at an early stage.  

Yet the latest data showed that one third of people who were sent an NHS bowel cancer screening kit in England last year did not go on to complete it.

The NHS continues to urge people to not to be “prudish about poo”, with people often reluctant to talk about symptoms due to embarrassment.

If you notice any symptoms of bowel cancer, contact your GP and don’t wait for your screening test. The type of changes to look out for are changes in your usual bowel habits for 3 weeks or more:

1. Tummy discomfort
2. Blood in poo
3. Diarrhoea or constipation for no obvious reason
4. A feeling of not having emptied your bowels after going to the toilet
5. Pain in your stomach or bottom
6. Your poo is loose, pale or looks greasy

For more information about bowel cancer screening go to: Bowel cancer screening – NHS (www.nhs.uk)