FORMER Warrington Rugby League forward Gary Sanderson was shocked to be diagnosed with bowel cancer when he thought he had piles.
Now Gary from St Helen’s, is backing a Cancer Research UK drive to help save more lives from bowel cancer – the UK’s second most common cause of cancer death.
The dad-of-two was in hospital to have the piles removed, but woke up following the anaesthetic to be told the surgeon had found a suspicious looking mass in his bowel which could be cancerous.
Following further tests, Gary was shocked to be told he had bowel cancer. At the time he was aged just 36 and both his daughters Rebecca and Sarah were at primary school.
Gary had assumed the blood in his poo had been caused by the piles and that he was feeling fatigued due to working shifts at a warehouse. He had surgery to remove the tumour and a temporary stoma fitted for 10 months. Gary also underwent chemotherapy treatment and was placed on a clinical trial which included the drug fluorouracil which Cancer Research UK helped to develop.
Fortunately, Gary made a good recovery and returned to work. He feels he was given a second chance of life after recovering.
He and his wife Jeanie welcomed their first grandchild Gus 15 months ago.
Bowel cancer kills around 2000 people in the North West every year.* Gary is sharing his story to mark Bowel Cancer Awareness Month this April and is urging people across the region to donate monthly to Cancer Research UK to help fund the next big breakthrough.
The 58-year-old said: “My diagnosis was an incredible shock and I feared I wouldn’t live to see my children grow up. I didn’t imagine for a minute I could have cancer.
“Now, I’m determined to raise vital awareness and funds. I’m living proof of the power of research and it’s given me the greatest gift of all – more precious time with my family. Success stories like mine simply wouldn’t be possible without monthly donations to Cancer Research UK that help to fund the life-saving treatments of tomorrow.”
Today the charity’s scientists are trailblazing new ways to beat bowel cancer with cutting edge technology – from using AI to develop a blood test to detect the disease early, to designing a robotic pill called the SampleCam. When swallowed, it travels through the bowel taking pictures with tiny cameras and using its mechanical arms to collect samples of potentially cancerous cells for testing. This tiny swimming robot could transform diagnosis and allow more bowel cancer cases to be detected early.
For Gary, progress like this can’t come soon enough. He added: “What used to be science fiction is becoming science fact and that’s so important, because too many people are still dying from this devastating disease.
“Spotting bowel cancer early saves lives. Research is key, but so is awareness. It’s vital that we put any awkwardness aside when it comes to talking about our poo and bowel habits. The most important thing people can do is be aware of what is normal for them and speak to their doctor if something isn’t quite right. It can make all the difference.”
For bowel cancer detected at the earliest stage, when treatment is more likely to be successful, around 9 in 10 people in England survive their disease for five years or more. But at the latest stage, this falls to around 1 in 10.**
Gary wants to see a commitment to diagnosing more cancers earlier in the Government’s forthcoming National Cancer Plan for England. And he’s urging supporters to sign Cancer Research UK’s open letter to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, urging him to seize this once in a decade opportunity to transform cancer survival for all.
Cancer Research UK spokesperson for the North West, Jane Bullock, said: “Our scientists have been working to beat bowel cancer for over 100 years. We’ve helped identify risk factors for the disease, developed many of the drugs used to treat it and are investigating why more people are getting bowel cancer at a younger age. But our work isn’t done yet.
“We want to bring about a world where everybody lives longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer – no matter who they are or where they’re from. So, this Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, we hope people will get behind Rose and show their support – whether they donate to our life-saving research or sign our open letter to Government for a National Cancer Plan that delivers real change.”
Support the future of cancer research at cruk.org/donate
Every year, around 5,300 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in the North West.***
Inspired by the legacy of Dame Deborah James, who lost her life to the disease, the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK is displaying posters in the charity’s shops this April, encouraging people to speak more openly about their poo and bowel habits.
It comes as new data**** reveals that of people surveyed in the North West:
- Around a third (32%) of adults said that they are embarrassed or uncomfortable talking about changes in their poo or bowel habits to a doctor
- Around 6 in 10 (59%) said that they are uncomfortable talking to a friend about their poo or bowel habits
- Almost half (48%) also said they are uncomfortable talking to a family member about their poo or bowel habits
Cancer Research UK hopes that by normalising talking about poo more, people will feel more comfortable and empowered to speak to a health professional if they spot something unusual for them.
Common symptoms of bowel cancer can include a change in your normal bowel habits (such as needing to go for a poo more often, looser poo or constipation); bleeding from the bottom or blood in poo; unexplained tiredness or breathlessness; losing weight without trying to and tummy pain (especially if it doesn’t go away) or a lump in the stomach.
But the most important thing people can do is listen to their body and, no matter the change, speak to their doctor if something isn’t normal for them.
