New bowel cancer awareness campaign to be launched

A new campaign has been launched by the government to raise awareness of the symptoms of bowel cancer, as well as the importance of early diagnosis.

The first ever national cancer campaign of its kind, the Be Clear on Cancer programme is calling for people suffering from persistent diarrhoea or with blood in their stool for more than three weeks to see their doctor as soon as possible.

Adverts will appear on TV, radio, online and in newspapers in England until the end of March 2012, with the new programme following on from the success of a pilot scheme run in the south-west and eastern parts of the country in January 2011.

Bowel cancer affects 33,000 people every year in England, but more than 90 percent of patients whose symptoms are detected early survive for at least five years.

Care services minister Paul Burstow said: "The Be Clear on Cancer campaign uses simple messages to make people aware of the key symptoms of bowel cancer and to give them the confidence to talk to their GP if they notice the symptoms."

Last November, Cancer Research UK published figures from Scotland showing that bowel cancer screening programmes can help to reduce the number of deaths from the disease by more than 25 percent.