What's to be worried about?

I agree,it's the same for us anal cancer people too.a lot of people get diagnosed with piles and given cream that does nothing and don't get diagnosed for a couple of years!! We don't like having to say we are bleeding etc and even telling people what sort of cancer it is is embarrassing.I only tell very few people where mine was.definitely need more screenings to get diagnosed early.

I agree also. Like Carla, I am an anal cancer sufferer, but don't tell people it's the 'A' word! And even if you mention bowel cancer, there are still the jokes about it being 'a pain in the arse' ! I can't even smile at this comment now, as the people that say it have no idea what pain people with cancer go through. Bowel cancer is one of the biggest killers and yet we are still coy about talking about it. It dosent help when your GP does not take you seriously and should refer you much quicker than often they do. My GP made me feel like I was whiging about nothing, so it put me off going back until the pain was so bad I could not stand it any more. There definitely needs to be more awareness and be more relaxed in speaking about our bodily functions.

I agree too, my mum had rectum Cancer, but only close family know that otherwise it's bowel Cancer .... as some of the comments made to her about where it was was quite utterly disgusting, some not knowing you could even get a tumour there, talking about it like some bad sexual disease!! More awareness needs to be made about the areas bowel Cancer covers, rectum, anus etc and stop the embarrassment and stop people shying away from examinations in that area, men & women. Us women go through smear tests, but when the back passage needs a look, we are horrified, men too!! But ill tell you, having a stoma, radio, chemo & having an op to remove rectum Cancer, removal of the rectum, closure of everything there, you'd wished you'd flashed your arse to the Dr at the first sign of poop trouble!!! Awareness is key and some cancers are just hidden away & not mentioned. People then die of ignorance as a result! My arse that is not right