Government launches first ever bowel cancer awareness campaign

The government has launched a new cancer awareness campaign which aims to increase awareness of the signs of bowel cancer.

Be Clear on Cancer is being trialled in the east and south-west of England and will be rolled out across the nation if successful.

It will encompass a series of new adverts – which will appear on TV, radio and in newspapers – that feature GPs encouraging patients to talk about changes in their bowel movements with their doctor.

Currently, the disease is the UK's third most common cancer, with almost 40,000 new cases each year.

However, experts are concerned that many people are unaware of the early signs and symptoms of bowel cancer and avoid going to the doctor with any problems.

Health minister Paul Burstow said that no one likes to talk about bowel problems, but that doing so could save lives.

He explained: "Early diagnosis makes a huge difference to cancer survival rates and bowel cancer is one of the biggest killers."