Simon MacCorkindale was busy working on the BBC medical drama Casualty playing Dr. Harry Harper when he started suffering from stomach cramps whilst he was filming in Bristol. It was only then he went to the doctor and they discovered a tumour in his bowel in 2006. He kept quiet about his illness and after an operation to remove the tumour he carried on working.
He found out the illness was terminal when he was told it had spread to his lungs in 2007 but he still kept quiet about it until he went public in 2009 as the signs of his illness were beginning to show. But he still worked as an actor and made his last television appearance in an episode of New Tricks in early 2010.
He fought a four-year battle against the illness but died peacefully in the arms of his wife, actress Susan George, in the London Clinic on Thursday October 14, 2010.
Whether his cancer could have been cured if the symptoms had been spotted earlier no one will ever know but there are symptoms which are not always due to bowel cancer but should not be ignored. If the disease is caught early there is a better chance of curing it.
Usually bowel cancers develop from small benign growths of tissue called polyps that can extend from the lining of the bowel wall and sometimes the polyps can become cancerous over time. If the cancer is not treated it can grow through the wall of the bowel and spread to other parts of the body.
Symptoms of Bowel Cancer
- Blood in the faeces which are mixed into the faeces or appear as flecks on the surface, or you might see them on the toilet paper or in the toilet. Get into the habit of looking in the toilet before you flush.
- Persistent changes in bowel habit for several weeks, especially going to the toilet more often or having loose bowels.
- Weight loss without obvious reason and/or loss of appetite.
- Tiredness or breathlessness for no apparent reason. This may be caused by the small amount of blood loss resulting in anaemia.
- Pain or lump or swelling of the abdomen
Causes of Bowel Cancer
The causes are not fully understood at present. One of the main factors is increasing age as more than eight out of 10 people diagnosed are over 60. The risk of bowel cancer increases if there is a family history of the disease or a long-term bowel condition such as Crohns Disease or Ulcerative Collitis.
The risk also increases if you live on a diet that is low in fibre and fruit and vegetables and high in red and processed meats, live an inactive lifestyle, or are obese. Sufferers of diabetes also have an increased risk of getting bowel cancer.
Bowel Cancer Prevention and Diagnosis
There is evidence that taking the following steps can reduce the risk of getting bowel cancer:
- Exercise for at least 30 minutes five days a week
- Eat 5 or more portions of fruit and vegetables every day
- Cut down on the amount of processed and red meat you eat
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Eat foods high in fibre such as wholegrain bread, cereals and pasta
- Quit smoking
- Make sure you get enough vitamin D as that can reduce the risk of developing a number of cancers, including bowel cancer.
Screening is important for detecting bowel cancer, so if you suffer any of the above symptoms go to your medical practitioner and ask for a test. Tests include a coloscopy which is when the doctor looks inside your large bowel with a narrow, flexible tube-like telescopic camera.
Another test is a sigmoidoscopy, which is the procedure for looking inside your rectum and the lower part of the bowel or a barium enema which means you have a fluid barium to make x-rays clearer.
If diagnosed further tests include an ultrasound scan to see if the cancer has spread, a C.T. scan to show the position of the tumour and an M.R.I. scan to show a two and three-dimensional picture of your bowel. You will also have a chest x-ray to check the health of your heart and lungs and a blood test to assess general health.
Surgery is the usual option to remove the tumour followed by chemotheraphy and/or radiotherapy.
For further information about bowel cancer go to the BUPA website.
Amanda Wilkins - I am really looking forward to giving you news on all the latest shows and getting to know the other excellent contributors to this ...
