Inflatable bowel to raise awareness of cancer

A large model of a bowel is being displayed to raise awareness of bowel cancer.

Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance (HNYCA) said it hoped the inflatable, which is more than 6ft 6in (2m) tall and 11ft 5in (3.5m) long, would "get people talking about bowel cancer and the importance of screening".

The campaign is part of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, which is being held in April, and will be visiting shopping centres and other community spaces in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Mark Hughes, clinical director at Humber and Yorkshire Coast Bowel Cancer Screening Centre, said: "Anyone who sees the bowel is going to want to know more."

Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK and is responsible for the second highest number of cancer deaths. More than 16,800 people die from bowel cancer in the UK every year, HNYCA said.

However, the number of people dying from the disease has been falling for several decades due to greater awareness, they added.

Bowel cancer can affect anyone of any age. More than nine in 10 new cases are diagnosed in people over the age of 50, but more than 2,600 new cases are diagnosed in people aged under 50 every year.

The inflatable bowel will be at the following venues in April.

• Friday 4 April, Scunthorpe Central Community Centre, from 11:00 to 16:00 BST.
• Wednesday 9 April, North Point Shopping Centre, Hull, from 10:00 to 15:00
• Monday 14 April, Scarborough Spa, from 10:00 to 16:00.
• Tuesday 29 April, Bridlington Spa, from 10:00 to 12:00.

Mr Hughes added: "We want to make people aware of the symptoms of bowel cancer, which include changes in your poo, needing to go to the toilet to poo more or less often than what is normal for you, blood in your poo, tummy pain, losing weight without trying, and feeling really tired, for no apparent reason."

Paula Brown, programme manager at the screening centre, has urged people to take a home test.

She said: "We understand people feel embarrassed to talk about poo or think about toilet matters but we would urge you to overcome this and do this painless and easy test."

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