 Dave: had just been ski-ing when he got his diagnosis |
Eighteen months ago, Dave Miners contacted Breakfast with a suggestion for a story
Dave, who was 54, had just been diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer.
He could hardly believe it: he played football and golf - and five years earlier had run the New York Marathon.
But, he felt he could help save others: getting people to talk openly about the condition and its symptoms would mean earlier diagnosis.
Dave made a short film for us, in which he spoke eloquently about his life - and the shock of his diagnosis.
Last week, Dave died - and his family have agreed that we can show his film again, as a way of increasing awareness of the disease.
This morning, Breakfast showed Dave's film again - and we talked to Jola Gore-Booth of the charity Colon Cancer Concern.
You can watch both those items, by clicking on the links on the top right hand side of this story (you will need Real Player software to make this work).
Bowel cancer: the facts
Each year, around 35,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer - or bowel cancer as it's more commonly known.
That makes it the second most common cancer in women - and the third most common in men.
Because the symptoms involve embarrassing changes to bowel habits, many people don't see the doctor until the cancer has already spread to other organs,such as the lung and liver.
This was what happened in Dave's case.
But, if the disease is caught early, the chances of being cured completely rise to 80%.
Risk factors
The risk of colorectal cancer increases with age: the average age of diagnosis is 70.
But there are other factors which can increase your chances of getting the disease: having a close relative with the same condition, or chronic inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis.
Symptoms
The symptoms of bowel cancer are very similar to other common complaints such as piles or irritable bowel syndrome.
You must see your GP if you notice:
Blood in your stools, particularly if it's dark or plum-coloured. A severe change in bowel habits, such as diarrhoea or constipation, which lasts for more than two weeks. Pain in the abdomen which lasts for more than two weeks
Unexplained weight loss. How you can help yourself
If you're worried about the risks of colorectal cancer, you can help yourself by eating a healthy diet.
A high fibre, low fat diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables and carbohydrate is thought to decrease your risk of bowel cancer. And taking a moderate amount of exercise may help, too.
This page can provide information only. If you are worried that you may have the symptoms of bowel cancer, you must consult your GP as soon as you can.
Colon Cancer Concern run a helpline: 08708 506050
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