12 December 2022
Hollywood actor Kirstie Alley sadly passed away last week at 71, from colon cancer, which, in Australia, is more commonly known as bowel cancer. Her family has said that her cancer was “only recently discovered”.
Thank you to Body+Soul for helping raise awareness of the importance of screening and knowing the symptoms of bowel cancer and for highlighting the key messages contained in our ‘View Your Poo’ campaign, run in conjunction with TerryWhite Chemmart.
Chief Pharmacist for TerryWhite Chemmart, Brenton Hart, is calling for more Australian to take note of their bowel health early.
He says research suggests that those born after 1990 have “double the risk of bowel cancer” than those born in 1950. Hart asks all of us to take a look in the loo after we’ve passed a bowel motion, and seek a doctor’s assistance if something isn’t right.
“Get off your phone, stand up and have a look, and if you think there is something going on, head to your GP to have a discussion,” he said. “The good news is that up to 99% of bowel cancer cases can be successfully treated if found early.”
Nick Lee OAM, Jodi Lee Bowel Cancer Foundation Founder and Chair said: “Blood in your poo may indicate the presence of polyps or bowel cancer, among other causes. Raising awareness of the importance of speaking to your GP if you notice blood in your poo, or any long term, persistent changes to your bowel habits, the more lives we can save.”
Read the full Body&Soul article here.