Lucy Owen, a presenter at BBC Wales, has taken her first bowel cancer screening test, provided by the NHS, after her mother, Patsy Cohen, had surgery for bowel cancer in 2018. Bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer, taking over 16,800 lives each year. Lucy spoke to her mother about why early cancer diagnosis is so important, and why everyone should be encouraged to go for cancer screenings.
“My mum and I have always been extremely close,” Lucy said. “It rocked us both when she was diagnosed with bowel cancer at 82. I remember us going to meet the surgeon who would operate on her. He told us that he could do the operation next week but that Mum would have to have a stoma. At this point, she was delighted, as she believed that she’d have to go to a cancer hospice, Marie Curie, and that would be it. So the stoma was a relief for her.”
The age for bowel cancer screening was lowered to 51 in 2020, and it will drop further to 50 in the current year. Lucy found that she had been sent a home testing kit as she had reached the age of 52. However, Patsy’s symptoms only became severe enough for her to visit the doctor when she was in ill health. “I had to admit to myself that the changes had become quite acute and I couldn’t go on much longer without sorting it out,” she said. “I had to explain that I thought that something was wrong and could they send me a test, and they did.”
Bowel cancer causes nearly 1,000 deaths annually in Wales. Historically, people over the age of 70 were diagnosed with the condition, but now middle-aged people under 50 are also contracting the disease. Patsy believes that it’s the stigma surrounding bowel testing that’s preventing people from undertaking the test. “There can be an element of disgust with using the current test because it requires taking a stool sample,” said Cancer Research Wales doctor Lee Campbell. “We need to normalise the discussion. It is part of us and it really is important to be able to be aware of your health and be empowered to look after yourself that bit better and participate in screening – and undertaking the test as is one of those things.
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