The cancer no one thinks will happen to them - Women's Agenda

The cancer no one thinks will happen to them

Australian women are pretty good when it comes to getting cancer checks. We will front up for the awkward yet necessary pap smear and if we forget, there is a handy surveillance scheme that will prod us with a gentle reminder that it’s time to make a doctor’s appointment. Once we reach 50, most of us are good at taking part in the federal government’s free Breastscreen program.

But what if I told you, you had a one in 12 risk of getting a particular cancer in your lifetime, that there is a free, non invasive, ultra-reliable screening test that you can do at home but that only about one third of people actually do the test. The rest just throw it away.

That’s right. They chuck it in the bin.

Why? Simply because it is bowel cancer. The test isn’t invasive or painful. It’s just a matter of getting a small swish of water after you’ve been to the bathroom and sending it off to the lab for analysis. The results are then sent back to you and your GP. That’s all. 

The statistics about this illness are scary. More than 15,000 Australians are told they have bowel cancer each year, including 1,091 people under the age of 50.

That’s lots of young people who thought they were too young to get bowel cancer, and in many cases, had to convince their GPs and specialists to get a colonoscopy to rule out bowel cancer.

To raise awareness of this important issue, I interviewed Crystal Pietikainen, who was diagnosed with stage two bowel when she was just 22.

Click here to watch her story. 

I wanted to focus on a young articulate woman like her to show that bowel cancer can affect anyone.

She says diagnosis came after months of trips to various doctors with unexplained abdominal symptoms. She had no family history of the disease and she had no other illnesses.

“I did go to a few doctors and basically a lot of the time it was put down to irritable bowel syndrome,” she said. For Ms Pietikainen, being diagnosed with a “disease of the aged” has been challenging. Medical staff often thought it was her mother who was ill.

“Being diagnosed at such a young age can be quite isolating. None of my friends have cancer,” she said. “Mentally I still feel 22, physically I feel like I have ten years on top of being 22.”

Ms Pietikainen said she wanted other young people to know there was support available. So what should you do?

If you have any symptoms you’re worried about like bleeding from the bowel, symptoms of anaemia (low iron), a change in bowel habit (loose stools or constipation), abdominal pain or cramping, bloating, weight loss or unexplained tiredness or fatigue. Talk to your doctor.

The good news is that you can significantly reduce your risk of bowel cancer. The best ways are:

  1. A lifestyle that includes regular physical activity is linked to a decreased risk of bowel cancer.
  2. Data shows convincing evidence that foods containing dietary fibre protect against bowel cancer (10% decreased risk per 10g/day).
  3. Studies show garlic, milk and calcium probably protect against bowel cancer.
  4. Eat less than 500g a week of red meat and very little, if any, processed meats.
  5. Limit alcoholic drinks to no more than two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women, with two alcohol free days a week.
  6. Be as lean as possible within normal range of body weight.

If you have any symptoms, talk to your GP and if you or anyone you love receives the free bowel screening kit in the mail, tell them to use them. It might just save a life.

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