Blood in your pee – see your GP

PEOPLE over 50 are being urged to seek medical attention if they notice any blood in their urine.
From today until the end of March the Be Clear on Cancer campaign, Blood in Pee, will be raising awareness that blood in pee is a main symptom of bladder and kidney cancers.
The campaign is aimed at both men and women over the age of 50, as this age group makes up more than 90 per cent of bladder and kidney cancer diagnosed in England.
In Warrington, although the number of cases is small, there is a significantly higher rate of mortality for bladder cancer compared to England as a whole and the North West.
In total, over the three-year period from 2011 to 2013, there were 73 deaths in Warrington from bladder cancer and during the same period, there was a steep increase in the rate of men who died from this cancer.
Cllr Maureen McLaughlin (pictured) , executive board member for public health and wellbeing, said: “The message is simple, if you notice blood in your pee, even if it’s just once, you really need to tell your doctor.
“The earlier cancer is detected, the better your chance of survival. If kidney and bladder cancers are diagnosed at the earliest stage, one-year survival can be as high as 97 per cent.”
Dr Sue Burke, NHS Warrington CCG’s clinical lead for cancer, said: “The Be Clear on Cancer Campaigns are hugely important in raising awareness of common symptoms of cancer.
“Blood loss from anywhere unexpected is significant. Blood in pee is something which should not be ignored, even if it only happens once. Cancers caught early have the best outcomes. More people survive or live with cancer than die from it so please do not ignore important warnings, get checked!”