Shoppers in awe of the Big Bowel as part of cancer awareness campaign
SHOPPERS at a Northampton shopping centre took a tour through a giant inflatable colon as part of a drive to raise awareness of bowel cancer.
The two-metre high colon – better known as the large intestine – attracted a lot of attention yesterday from people at the Weston Favell Shopping Centre.
The Big Bowel is part of an NHS Northamptonshire initiative aimed at helping people to spot symptoms of bowel cancer earlier, and so increase their chances of successful treatment.
Shopper Jayan Patel, aged 78, of Hertford Court, Meadowfield, Northampton, thought the initiative was a great idea.
He said: “I’m really impressed.
“All three of my children had bowel cancer and I think this is a very good way of raising awareness.”
Dr Saqib Mirza, local GP lead for the DETECT early cancer detection project, said this was the first time the inflatable colon had been used.
He said: “It’s all about bowel awareness and it’s certainly hard to ignore this one. What we want is for people not to ignore the possible symptoms of bowel cancer, particularly people over 50.”
Mr Mirza said bowel cancer was one of the four major cancers, along with breast, lung and prostate.
He said: “The symptoms can sometimes be embarrassing and that can prohibit people from going to a doctor.”
He encouraged people experiencing bowel problems, including bleeding, abdominal pain and unexplained weight loss, to contact their GP, who can arrange a screening.
Since the bowel screening programme was introduced in 2006 there has been a 12 per cent increase in bowel cancer detection rates.
Mr Mirza said: “If caught early the success rate is as high as 95 per cent. If you leave it, this can drop as low as five per cent.”
The Big Bowel, which will run again today, is part of a Healthy New Year event, which also features free NHS health checks, diet and fitness advice, as well as cooking demonstrations.
Email to a friend
Print this page- BREAKING NEWS: Tributes paid to Niamh Curry as brave five-year-old loses battle against cancer
- BREAKING NEWS: Pensioner dies after collision at Northampton shopping centre
- Man tied to tree and beaten on Northampton Racecourse
- BREAKING NEWS: Woman’s body found after ‘suicide’ in Northampton hotel room
- BREAKING NEWS: Seven-year-old boy dies following house fire in Northamptonshire
- Northampton binmen at ‘breaking point’
- Staff strike at Northampton school over academy plans forces closure
- Saints’ stadium plans get support as long as traffic issues solved
- Eastern European pupils helping school standards across Northampton
- Exclusive: PM David Cameron says Northamptonshire Police Commissioner role is “a big job for a big local figure”
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northampton
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.