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The Inflatable Colon is a unique educational tool helping to break down the taboos surrounding colorectal cancer
Global Health Education Partnership
Bowel Cancer UK
Established in 1987, Bowel Cancer UK is a national charity with offices in England and Scotland.
Our Mission Statement
- Bowel Cancer UK aims to save lives by raising awareness of bowel cancer, campaigning for best treatment and care and providing practical support and advice.
- Early diagnosis of bowel cancer in the UK is a problem because people either find it uncomfortable to discuss the symptoms of the disease or simply do not know what they are.
- Survival rates in the UK are amongst the lowest in Europe, with 15% more patients being diagnosed at a later stage of the disease compared with most other European countries.
- This is why Bowel Cancer UK's work to encourage people to recognise the symptoms of the disease and to act on their concerns so that they have the best chance of survival is so important.
We announced new research
In December we launched our research strategy, ‘Unlocking the Key to the Cures: Our research strategy 2017-2022’, detailing our key priority research areas for the next five years.
This was informed by our landmark Critical Research Gaps in Colorectal Cancer Initiative, which identifies key gaps in bowel cancer research, which, if addressed, could transform survival rates and ultimately benefit thousands of people in the future. The research paper was published in the leading international academic journal GUT in December.
In March the University of Exeter, in partnership with our Never Too Young campaign, Durham University and North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, published new research and a risk assessment tool to support GPs to identify the symptoms of a serious bowel condition for patients aged under-50.
In May we launched our partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons of England. We announced £500,000 funding for bowel cancer surgical research to establish the UK’s first Colorectal Cancer Surgical Research Chair and establish a network of the charity’s Colorectal Cancer Surgical Research Fellowship. In October Miss Marta Penna from Imperial College London and Oxford University Hospital was awarded the very first Bowel Cancer UK/RCS Research Fellow.
In July we opened our first round of grant applications with plans to invest up to £500,000 into much needed bowel cancer research, as part of our commitment to support research with the greatest benefits for those at risk and affected by the disease.
Improving services for people with Lynch syndrome
In February we and 30 leading clinicians and scientific experts published a letter in the British Medical Journalcalling for urgent improvements in the diagnosis and care of people with Lynch syndrome. Lynch syndrome is an inherited genetic condition that can increase the lifetime risk of bowel cancer to up to 80%.
The letter coincides with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommending that everyone in England newly diagnosed with bowel cancer should be tested for Lynch syndrome.
In November we, and ten leading clinical experts in bowel cancer and genetics, called on the national Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) to take responsibility for screening people with Lynch syndrome for bowel cancer in England.
Advanced bowel cancer patients denied surgery
To coincide with World Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Day on the 27 September, we published a report on the survey results of advanced bowel cancer patients. We found that stage four bowel cancer patients are losing out on the opportunity to live longer because NHS clinical specialists are not included in treatment decisions and as a result are denied surgery that could extend their life.
