March Is Colon Cancer Awareness Month – Please Don’t Ignore the Signs

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month, and this is one that feels personal to me. It is something I discuss frequently in clinic, and increasingly, something I am seeing in younger patients in everyday practice.

Bowel cancer remains the fourth most common cancer in the UK, with around 42,000 new cases diagnosed each year (1). Yet despite national screening programmes and improved awareness, many cases are still diagnosed at a later stage. Organisations such as Bowel Cancer UK continue to do outstanding work raising awareness, supporting patients, and campaigning for earlier diagnosis.

The uncomfortable truth is this: early detection dramatically improves outcomes — but only if people come forward.