As part of the ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign, NHS England is raising awareness of cancers in the abdominal area and urological cancers, and is encouraging anyone who has had tummy troubles such as discomfort or diarrhoea for three weeks or more, or seen blood in their pee – even just once, to contact their GP practice.
Persistent tummy troubles can be a sign of a number of cancers, including bowel, ovarian or pancreatic cancer, and blood in pee – even just once, can be a sign of urological cancers, including bladder or kidney cancer.
The number of people being sent for urgent cancer checks by their GP has been at record levels since March 2021, but people who are suffering with abdominal or urological symptoms may be reluctant to visit their GP.
They may be embarrassed about their symptoms, concerned that they might be wasting their doctor’s time, or they may just put their symptoms down to getting older.
While it’s probably nothing serious, any of these symptoms could be a sign of something that needs treatment. If it is cancer, finding it early makes it more treatable and can save lives.
Cancer diagnoses
Data suggests that we are now diagnosing a higher proportion of cancers at an early stage now than before the pandemic.
Abdominal cancers include oesophageal, stomach, bowel, pancreatic, ovarian, and uterine cancers. Urological cancers include prostate, kidney, and bladder cancers.
Latest data shows that:
* Over a quarter of public surveyed were unaware of some of the most common symptoms of urological and abdominal cancers, including:
• Needing to pee urgently (30% unaware)
• Feeling bloated for three weeks or more (28% unaware)
• Diarrhoea for three weeks or more (25% unaware)
* Over a third of the public surveyed did not identify blood in your pee or blood in your poo as typical symptoms of bladder and bowel cancer.
* The most recognisable symptom of urological and abdominal cancers for the public was discomfort in the tummy area (81%).
* The research was conducted by Censuswide, with 2,000 respondents aged 16+ in England between 23.09.22 – 28.09.22.
Visit nhs.uk/cancersymptoms for more information.
