The five 'red flag' symptoms of bowel cancer

Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in Wales with more than 2,200 new cases diagnosed every year.  But at least nine in 10 people will survive the disease if it’s found and treated early enough.  

To mark Bowel Cancer Awareness Month which runs throughout April, there has been a renewed focus on raising awareness of the five “red flag” symptoms of bowel cancer.

They include:   

1. Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo  

1. A persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit  

1. Unexplained weight loss  

1. Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason  

1. A pain or lump in your tummy  

Although bowel cancer is more likely to affect those over the age of 50, it can be found at any age. Early detection could prove lifesaving, so if you have any of these symptoms, or if things just don’t feel right, go to your GP.    

Bowel cancer could be present before any of these symptoms arise, which is why regular screening is so important.   

In Wales, if you’re aged between 55 and 74 and registered with a doctor, a free NHS bowel screening kit is automatically sent to you every two years to measure how much blood is in your poo. The test can be completed at home. Once you have sent your test back your results will be returned to you within just two weeks.  

For more information on the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer, please visit Bowel Cancer UK’s website.

For more information on bowel screening in Wales, please visit the Bowel Screening Wales section of the Public Health Wales website.

If you are aged between 55 and 57 you do not need to contact Bowel Screening Wales to request a test kit as you will be automatically invited.