Bowel Cancer Awareness

Conor Burns, MP for Bournemouth West, has pledged to support the national charity Beating Bowel Cancer to save lives from the UK’s second biggest cancer killer.

Conor attended Beating Bowel Cancer’s annual Be Loud Be Clear Parliamentary event earlier this week where he found out the latest bowel cancer figures for his local area. In Bournemouth West, more people are diagnosed with bowel cancer and fewer people die from the disease than the national average .

Conor Burns MP said, “One in eighteen people are diagnosed with bowel cancer and these local figures show that people in Bournemouth West must take bowel cancer seriously. I hope that by supporting Beating Bowel Cancer’s campaign I can encourage people in my constituency to BE LOUD about bowel cancer and BE CLEAR on the symptoms of the UK’s second biggest cancer killer.”

Mark Flannagan, Chief Executive of Beating Bowel Cancer said, “I am delighted that Conor Burns MP is supporting Be Loud Be Clear. Bowel cancer claims a life every 30 minutes in the UK but it but it can be beaten. No matter what the figures say for your local area, by working together to raise awareness, we can beat bowel cancer.”

Be Loud Be Clear 2012 coincides with the launch of Be Clear on Cancer, the first NHS national bowel cancer awareness campaign. Bowel Cancer is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer yet it can be beaten. If diagnosed early, over 90% of bowel cancer patients could be successfully treated compared with less than 7% of patients diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer .

This issue was particularly close-to-home for Conor after the passing of David Atkinson, a former Conservative MP for Bournemouth East, earlier in the week, after a long battle with bowel cancer.

Mr Atkinson, who died aged 71, served his constituents for 28 years until retiring in 2005. Mr Atkinson warned others last year to not ignore the symptoms of ill-health and to get checked.

To find out more about bowel cancer and to access the latest figures for bowel cancer in your area, by local authority and constituency, visit www.beatingbowelcancer.org.