Even after her death, the tireless work of the late journalist, campaigner and educator, Dame Deborah James, is making more people than ever come forward for bowel cancer checks, as numbers reach a record high.
More than 170,000 people were referred for suspected gastro-intestinal cancers between the months of May and July – 30,000 more than the same time last year and almost 80,000 higher than the same period two years ago.
Referrals for bowel cancer hit an all-time high in the second week of July as figures reached as high as 60% more than pre-pandemic levels, NHS Digital’s latest referrals statistics have also revealed.
This all comes after NHS figures indicated that just a day after James’ passing, online bowel cancer checks increased by tenfold after the late campaigner urged people to check their poo for early signs of the disease.
National Cancer Director, Dame Cally Palmer, said: “Thanks to the brave and relentless campaigning of Dame Deborah James, bowel cancer has come to the forefront of a national conversation on catching cancer as early as possible, and the fact that we have seen record numbers of people coming forward for bowel cancer checks shows people are taking the illness seriously and speaking to their GPs about it.
“It is so important that we continue the work of Dame Deborah to raise awareness of bowel cancer and save more lives, so to anyone who has noticed symptoms, please do come forward.”
Nearly 200,000 more people visited the NHS website looking up bowel cancer symptoms in the last three months, further solidifying Dame Deborah James’ legacy of bringing bowel cancer to the forefront of the public conversation and encouraging people to check themselves.
Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “Dame Deborah James shared her story with the world to raise awareness of the importance of early diagnosis, break down barriers and challenge taboos around cancer.
“Deborah’s honesty and humour has changed the conversation around cancer and she’s undoubtedly had a huge impact on raising awareness. We saw an increase of 120% to our bowel cancer information pages the day after she passed away, compared to the day before. We hope that the impact of this increased awareness of the disease will be felt for years to come.
“It’s important that people contact their GP if they notice any changes to their body which aren’t normal for them. While most changes won’t be cancer, if it is, an early diagnosis can make all the difference.”
Dame Deborah James’ influence is helping the NHS fulfil their Long Term Plan commitment of catching at least three-quarters of all cancers at an earlier stage by 2028.
