April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the second biggest cancer killer.

Nearly 43,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK.

Around 268,000 people living in the UK today have been diagnosed with bowel cancer.

More than nine out of ten new cases (94%) are diagnosed in people over the age of 50, and nearly six out of ten cases (59%) are diagnosed in people aged 70 or over. But bowel cancer can affect anyone of any age. More than 2,600 new cases are diagnosed each year in people under the age of 50.

1 in 15 men and 1 in 18 women will be diagnosed with bowel cancer during their lifetime.

The following animation created by Bowel Cancer UK explains the key facts about bowel cancer. It covers common symptoms and how to reduce your risk of getting the disease, as well as information about the bowel cancer screening programme and how they can help anyone affected.

For further information on Bowel Cancer please visit the NHS website or Bowel Cancer UK website.