George Alagiah revealed symptom he wished he’d caught earlier before bowel cancer death

BBC presenter George Alagiah has died on the age of 67, after almost a decade of residing with bowel cancer.

The newsreader was first recognized in 2014. He underwent a number of rounds of therapy after the cancer returned and unfold over the previous few years.

In a press release, his agent Mary Greenham stated: “George fought till the bitter finish however sadly that battle ended earlier at present. George was deeply cherished by all people who knew him, whether or not it was a buddy, a colleague or a member of the general public.

“He merely was an exquisite human being. My ideas are with Fran, the boys and his wider household.”

Earlier this yr, Alagiah opened up a couple of symptom he wished he had caught earlier. He was collaborating in an NHS marketing campaign to encourage the broader public to take up its bowel cancer screening program.

He urged individuals who have obtained a free check equipment from the well being service “to not ignore it” as a result of it “may save your life”.

“Had I been screened, I may have been picked up. I might have been screened at the very least thrice and presumably 4 by the point I used to be 58 and this might have been caught on the stage of just a little polyp: snip, snip,” he stated on the time.

Alagiah obtained his analysis after complaining of blood in his stools. He underwent 17 rounds of chemotherapy and 5 operations to deal with the illness, which finally unfold to his liver and lymph nodes.

He supported a marketing campaign by Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer to make cancer screening out there to everybody in England from the age of fifty. At present, screening is offered to everybody aged 60 to 74, however the NHS is increasing to incorporate everybody aged 50 to 59 years previous.

Round 42,000 individuals are recognized with bowel cancer yearly within the UK, with 90 per cent of diagnoses made in individuals over the age of fifty. It the fourth commonest cancer and the second greatest cancer killer, resulting in round 16,800 deaths yearly.

The three primary signs of bowel cancer embrace having persistent blood within the stools; an ondoing change in bowel habits, corresponding to needing to go extra typically or having diarrhoea; and protracted decrease stomach ache, bloating or discomfort.

Some sufferers might also expertise a lack of urge for food, or important, unintentional weight reduction. In accordance with Cancer Analysis UK, one other potential symptom is tenesmus, which is the sensation of getting to defecate with out having stools, or experiencing ache upon defecation.

Research have discovered that a number of components may doubtlessly enhance the danger of bowel cancer, though they can not clarify each case.

These embrace a weight loss plan excessive in crimson or processed meats and low in fibre; being obese or overweight; not exercising typically sufficient; and consuming an excessive amount of alcohol.

Smoking and having a household historical past of the illness may also enhance the danger. Some individuals with long-term situations like intensive ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s illness might also have an elevated threat of bowel cancer.

Bowel cancer may be handled with surgical procedure, which can be paired with chemotherapy, radiotherapy or organic therapies. Catching the cancer at an early stage drastically improves probabilities of survival.

Nonetheless, the NHS states that if a cancerous tumour can’t be eliminated utterly by means of surgical procedure, then a treatment is probably not doable.

For extra details about therapy for bowel cancer, go to the NHS here and Cancer Analysis UK here.

To talk to a Cancer Analysis UK nurse, you possibly can name 0808 800 4040. The helpline is free and open from Monday to Friday, from 9am till 5pm.

Extra reporting by PA