Over third of people in the East of England unaware of signs of cancer
It comes as NHS England tries to raise awareness of the symptoms
Last updated 5th Dec 2022
Over a third of people in the East of England don't associate blood in their urine or stool as a possible sign of bladder or bowel cancer.
Over a quarter of people unaware of signs of certain cancers
In addition to that, over a quarter of people are also unaware of some of the most common symptoms of urological or abdominal cancers.
Those symptoms include:
- Needing to pee urgently
- Feeling bloated for three weeks or more
- Having diarrhoea for three weeks or more
In response, NHS England has launched a new campaign - 'Help Us, Help You' , to try raise awareness around the symptoms of certain cancers
The 'Help Us, Help You' campaign
The campaign is encouraging anyone who had tummy troubles for three weeks or more, or seen blood in their urine – even just once, to contact their GP practice.
And whilst they stress most things aren't serious, any of these symptoms could be something that require treatment and catching something early makes it more treatable.
Michael's story
Michael Sloane from Buckinghamshire noticed blood in his urine back in 2013. He chose to ignore it on the first occasion but after seeing it again, he confided in his wife and then spoke to a GP.
After being referred for various tests it was discovered the now 67-year-old had a tumour in his bladder.
Following his first bout, Michael went on to have more tumours removed but fortunately he is now cancer-free and continuing to enjoy life.
According to Michael, if the blood hadn't got any worse, he might not have consulted a doctor and his cancer wouldn't have been caught as early as it was. He's now an advocate for getting check as soon as possible.
"Go and see a doctor straight away"
Michael said: "If you see blood in your pee, go and see a doctor straight away. Even if it's just once. I may have shrugged it off and then, of course, it might've developed into something more serious and I might've lost my bladder."
He adds, many people often don't want to bother a doctor but "they want to see you."
Visit nhs.uk/cancersymptoms for more information.