Posted: 04/11/2024
James Van Der Beek diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer
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A sad story has emerged today of the Dawson’s Creek star, James Van Der Beek’s devastating diagnosis of colorectal cancer, at the young age of 47.
James Van Der Beek advised that he has been dealing with his diagnosis privately until now, taking steps to resolve it, with the support of his incredible family.
The news has raised further concern over the rise of a cancer diagnoses in young people.
Colorectal cancer – also known as bowel cancer – also claimed the life of Dame Deborah James at the young age of 40. She launched her “Bowelbabe” campaign to raise awareness of the disease, and her legacy to raise awareness lives on.
Knowing the symptoms of colorectal/bowel cancer is important to spotting it early. The earlier it is found, the more treatable it is likely to be.
What is bowel cancer?
The bowel is part of the digestive system, and it is made up of the small bowel and the large bowel. The large bowel is made up of the colon and rectum. Cancer that affects the large bowel is typically called bowel cancer; however, it can also be called colorectal cancer, colon cancer or rectum cancer, depending on where it is found.
Most bowel cancer develop from polyps. Polyps are non-cancerous growths that might develop into cancer; however, not all polyps develop into cancer.
Colorectal cancer typically develops from benign growths (polyps) in the lining of the colon (the large intestine) or the rectum.
Facts & Figures about bowel cancer
According to Bowel Cancer UK, bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK. Almost 44,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK. More than nine out of ten new cases (94%) are diagnosed in people over the age of 50, but bowel cancer can affect anyone of any age. More than 2,600 new cases are diagnosed in people under the age of 50 every year.
1 in 17 men and 1 in 20 women will be diagnosed with bowel cancer during their lifetime.
Bowel cancer is treatable and curable, especially if diagnosed early. Nearly everyone survives bowel cancer if diagnosed at the earliest stage. However, this drops significantly as the disease develops. Early diagnosis saves lives.
What are the symptoms of bowel cancer?
Bowel cancer can affect anyone, whatever the age, gender, ethnicity or where you live, so everyone should be vigilant for the symptoms.
They can include:
o Bleeding from the bottom
o Blood in your poo
o A change in your pooing habits. You might be going more or less often or have diarrhoea or constipation that might come and go.
o Losing weight but you are not sure why.
o Feeling tired all the time but you are not sure why.
o A pain or lump in your tummy.
Risk Factors
We don’t know what causes most bowel cancers, but we do know that some factors increase your risk of getting the disease. Some of these are things you cannot do anything about, but you can make changes to your lifestyle to lower your risk of bowel cancer.
You are more at risk of getting bowel cancer if you have one or more of the following risk factors. This does not mean that you definitely will get bowel cancer. Equally, if you do not have any risk factors, it does not mean you cannot get bowel cancer.
o Aged over 50
o A strong family history of bowel cancer
o A history of non-cancerous growths (polyps) in your bowel
o Longstanding inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
o Type 2 diabetes
o Unhealthy lifestyle
# GetOnARoll Campaign
Launched in the Summer of 2022, Bowel Cancer UK set up a campaign to call on supermarkets across the country to put bowel cancer symptoms on their own brand loo roll – where people need to see them most. Their success has seen up to 10 huge brands announcing their support for this campaign and helping raise awareness of bowel cancer symptoms.
Our team at Williamsons Solicitors have a wealth of experience in dealing with claims concerning bowel and colorectal cancer, including concerns regarding delay in diagnosis. To speak to our clinical negligence team please call 01482 323697 or contact us via our online form.
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