A Merseyside grandad stars in a new TV advert to raise awareness of bowel cancer screening.
Peter Matthews is fronting Be Clear on Cancer’s campaign developed by Public Health England and Cancer Research UK, which highlights the role of bowel cancer screening in helping to save lives.
The advert is aimed at men and women aged 60 to 74 years to encourage them to take part in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening programme.
People in this age bracket who are registered with a GP will receive an NHS bowel cancer screening kit through the post, every two years.
Bowel cancer screening is a simple test that can be done in the privacy of your own home. It is designed to detect early signs of bowel cancer.
Father-of-three Peter was diagnosed with early stage bowel cancer in 2015 after taking part in the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme.
A retired council worker, he had not experienced any symptoms prior to completing the screening test, which he had done routinely since first receiving a kit seven years ago.
The 69-year-old from Litherland was delighted to feature in the TV advert in the hope that his personal story might inspire others.
He said: “I know only too well the importance of bowel cancer screening in saving lives.
“I just hope that when men and women of my age group see the advert on telly they realise just how simple the kit is to use and will feel encouraged to complete it and send it back.
“I feel very lucky indeed that my cancer was caught early. Friends tell me they can’t believe how easy it all was.
“The whole process only took a few months from diagnosis to completing my treatment.
“And I will continue to have regular check-ups over the next two years. So please don’t ignore the kit when it arrives – take the test.”
Every year, 2000 people between 60 and 74 are diagnosed with bowel cancer in the North West and 600 people of the same age in the region will die from the disease.
Fiona Osgun, Senior Health Information Officer at Cancer Research UK, said: “Some people don’t return the test kit because they don’t think they need to take part if they’re not feeling ill.
“But screening is designed to detect bowel cancer before any symptoms develop. The kit comes with clear step-by-step instructions and tips for collecting your poo.
“Even if the kit does show something out of the ordinary, it doesn’t mean it will turn out to be cancer. But if it is cancer, catching it at an early stage means it is easier to treat successfully.”
For more information visit www.cruk.org.uk/beclearoncancer or ring the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Helpline on 0800 707 60 60.