The bowel cancer symptom half of Cornwall doesn’t recognise

If you’ve been feeling wiped out for weeks and put it down to work, or you’ve noticed something’s changed about your trips to the toilet and decided it’s nothing, you’re in good company. Most people in Cornwall can name at least one sign of bowel cancer. Fewer can name the one that’s quietly the easiest to miss.

What the research found

New research shared by Bowel Cancer UK shows that 91% of people surveyed across Cornwall could recognise at least one symptom of bowel cancer. But dig into which symptoms, and the gaps open up. More than half, 54%, didn’t recognise feeling exhausted all the time for no obvious reason as a possible sign. Almost six in 10, 58%, didn’t recognise a pain or lump in the tummy. A third, 34%, missed a change in bowel habits, and 31% didn’t identify unexplained weight loss.

A quarter of people surveyed, 25%, said they’d experienced at least one possible symptom in the previous six months. Which is another way of saying this isn’t a hypothetical for a lot of readers.

Redruth’s Kayleigh Bray thought it was piles

📷Kayleigh Bray, from Redruth, who is supporting Bowel Cancer UK's Early Diagnosis Programme in Cornwall.

Kayleigh Bray, 38, from Redruth, was diagnosed with stage 2 bowel cancer in June 2024, after months of unexplained weight loss and bleeding she’d been told was something else entirely.

“I had been experiencing regular bleeding when I went to the toilet, sometimes it was a relatively small amount, but other times there was a lot more,” Kayleigh said. “I was initially treated for piles, but the bleeding continued. I’d also experienced other changes that didn’t feel right, including sudden and noticeable weight loss. Looking back, I wish I’d known more about the different symptoms of bowel cancer and that they could happen to someone my age. My diagnosis was a complete shock, and I want other people to know that if something doesn’t look or feel right, it’s important to get it checked.”

Nearly half of people diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK find out at stage 3 or 4, when it’s harder to treat. Caught at the earliest stage, it’s a different picture almost entirely: nearly everyone survives.

A year-long push in four towns

A new 12-month Early Diagnosis Programme is being delivered in Penzance, Redruth, Camborne and Hayle, funded by the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK and run by Bowel Cancer UK in partnership with the NHS Peninsula Cancer Alliance and Community Pharmacy Cornwall. It’s built to help people recognise the symptoms, feel able to raise them with a GP or pharmacist, and actually complete their bowel screening test when it lands on the doormat.

The programme includes community events and awareness activities, outreach through local social and community groups, an advertising campaign on symptoms, and closer engagement with healthcare professionals on the ground.

Behind that sits a more human problem. Research points to embarrassment, fear of what a diagnosis might mean, and a reluctance to “waste the doctor’s time” as reasons people sit on symptoms rather than get them looked at.

Why the pharmacy matters as much as the GP

Andy Glyde, Strategy, Impact and Insight Lead at Bowel Cancer UK, said the survey shows a mixed picture. “Our research shows that while most people in Cornwall recognise at least one symptom of bowel cancer, there are still important gaps in awareness of some key warning signs. We also know that some people may be reluctant to go to their GP with symptoms, particularly if they think they may be something minor that they can manage themselves.

“In rural communities, local pharmacies can play an especially important role in making sure people have somewhere accessible to turn to for advice about their bowel health. Through this programme, we want to encourage people who are worried about changes to their bowel health to speak to their community pharmacist, who can help them get the right support. We want more people in Cornwall to be diagnosed earlier, when bowel cancer is more treatable and outcomes are better.”

Dr Joe Mays, Clinical GP Chair at NHS Peninsula Cancer Alliance, made a similar point about pharmacies being the first, easiest door to knock on. “We want people across Cornwall to feel confident talking about changes to their bowel health, whether that’s with their GP or their local community pharmacist. Pharmacies are an important part of our communities and can provide a convenient first point of advice for people who may be worried about their symptoms.

“By working alongside Bowel Cancer UK and our community pharmacy colleagues, we can help people recognise when something isn’t right, encourage them to seek professional advice and support them to take action earlier. The sooner bowel cancer is diagnosed, the more likely it is to be treated successfully.”

The symptoms to know

Bowel cancer can affect anyone, at any age. The most common symptoms are:

• Bleeding from your bottom
• Blood in your poo
• A change in your pooing habits. You might be going more or less often, or have diarrhoea or constipation that comes and goes
• Losing weight but you’re not sure why
• Feeling very tired all the time but you’re not sure why
• A pain or lump in your tummy

If any of that rings a bell, or something just doesn’t look or feel right, a GP or community pharmacist is the next step, not a Google search at midnight.

Bowel Cancer UK is asking people in Penzance, Redruth, Camborne and Hayle to get involved with the programme, whether that’s volunteering at events, sharing their own experience of bowel cancer, or simply helping spread the word locally. More information on symptoms and how to take part is on the programme’s Cornwall page.

Kayleigh’s advice, for what it’s worth, is the simplest part of the whole story. Get it checked.