GPs TV role to help fight cancer

20th January 2017

Cheadle GP Stephen Gaduzo will be popping up on your screens when you settle down to watch the likes of Coronation Street – but it’s all in the name of fighting cancer.

Dr Gaduzo, from Cheadle Medical Practice, is fronting the Be Clear On Cancer campaign which includes adverts going out on prime time TV.

The campaign aims to persuade 60 to 74 year old to get screened for bowel cancer using a home kit sent to them in the post.

The screening’s vital because it can detect bowel cancer before there are any symptoms so it catches people who would not otherwise be seeing their doctor.

Said Dr Gaduzo “I was delighted to get involved in this important campaign because the screening kit really can be a life saver.

“If any of my patients feel apprehensive or embarrassed about using the kit, I just remind them that it is really simple to use and they can do it in the privacy of their own home.

“It can detect bowel cancer at its very earliest stages when it is far easier to treat successfully. If you get sent one of these kits, please use it – it just might save your life.”

People between the age of 60 and 74 will sent a bowel cancer screening kit through the post every two years. Because it can detect early stage cancer, it is aimed at people who have no symptoms.

Even if the screening does show something out of the ordinary, it does not necessarily mean it is cancer but if it is, catching it early is good news.

Every year around two thousand people in the north west are diagnosed with bowel cancer but it can be treated very successfully if caught at an early stage.

If you are experiencing any symptoms like blood in your poo or a persistent change in bowel habits, see your doctor as soon as possible.

Most people with these symptoms don’t have bowel cancer but it is worth getting it checked out.