European Code Against Cancer
23/10/2025
Eating certain fruits and vegetables can cut GI cancer risk
25/08/2025
Gastrointestinal cancer is a type of malignant tumor that develops in the digestive tract and related organs, such as the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, biliary system, small and large intestines, rectum, and anus. In recent years, the number of new cases and deaths from GI cancers has been steadily rising worldwide. Although fruits and vegetables have long been associated with lowering cancer risk, recent research has provided stronger evidence to support this link. A study conducted by Korean researchers explored whether the color of produce influences its protective effects, and their findings were published in Nutrition Research.
To read the full article – click here.
Common foods to avoid
08/08/2025
Colorectal cancer, often referred to as colon cancer, is among the most common cancers affecting both men and women worldwide. Alarmingly, it has been on the rise in recent years, particularly among younger adults. Once considered primarily a disease of older individuals, it is now increasingly being diagnosed in people under the age of 50.
This form of cancer develops in the colon or rectum, usually starting with benign growths known as polyps in the large intestine. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Factors such as obesity and excessive alcohol consumption have contributed to its growing impact on younger populations. While genetics and age are significant risk factors, lifestyle choices—especially diet—play a major role in influencing one’s likelihood of developing the disease.
The encouraging news is that colorectal cancer is largely preventable through early screening and healthy lifestyle habits.
To read the full article – click here.
Colon Cancer Is on the Rise—Especially in Young Adults
05/08/2025
Colon cancer (also called colorectal cancer) is one of the most common cancers in both men and women worldwide. It’s long been thought of as something that mostly affects older adults—but that’s changing. More and more people under 50 are being diagnosed, and it’s got doctors seriously concerned.
So, what is colon cancer exactly? It starts in the large intestine (the colon) or the rectum, and often begins as small, harmless growths called polyps. Over time, these can turn into cancer if they’re not found and removed.
In the U.S., colon cancer is actually the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. And lifestyle choices—like diet, drinking alcohol, and being overweight—are playing a big role in why it’s hitting younger people more often.
But here’s the good news: colon cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer.
Your daily habits—especially what you eat—can make a huge difference. Some foods can quietly increase your risk without you even realizing it, while others can help keep your colon healthy. Paying attention to your diet is one of the simplest ways to lower your chances of getting it.
Foods to Avoid
- Eating a lot of beef, pork, lamb, bacon, sausages, and deli meats has been strongly linked to colon cancer. Processed meats definitely cause cancer, and red meat probably does too. Chemicals like heme iron, nitrates, and nitrites can damage your colon over time.
- They might taste amazing, but fried and fast foods—like fries, fried chicken, and burgers—are packed with unhealthy fats and additives. They can cause inflammation, mess with your gut, and are linked to a higher risk of colon cancer. Plus, they usually lack fiber, which your colon needs to stay healthy.
- Sodas, sweets, white bread, and sugary cereals might seem harmless, but they can lead to obesity, diabetes, and inflammation—all linked to colon cancer. One study found sugary drinks may raise your risk by 10%. These foods spike blood sugar and promote belly fat, which can fuel cancer growth.
- Even moderate drinking can raise your colon cancer risk—especially if you also smoke or eat poorly. Alcohol breaks down into a chemical that can damage DNA and harm your gut, making it easier for cancer to develop.
- Packaged snacks, frozen meals, and instant noodles are often loaded with salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats—but low in fiber and nutrients. Eating them regularly can mess with your gut and raise your risk of colon cancer. One study even linked ultra-processed foods to higher cancer risk, especially in men.
Foods to Eat
- Fruits and vegetables (especially dark leafy greens, berries, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower)
- Legumes (beans, lentils, peas)
- Healthy fats (avocados, nuts, olive oil)
- Fermented foods (yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut)
Eating these foods regularly can reduce inflammation, support digestion, and improve overall colon function.
04/10/2023
Finally, the Welsh Government and the Health Service are going to honour their 2008 pledge that Bowel Screening roll out for the 50-74 years age group would be rolled out over 5 years. We have had many excuses from the lack of training colonoscopists to Eluned Morgan’s recent excuse blaming Covid. The Government in the future need to ensure screening and other health initiatives are fully researched and planned for their ability to deliver on time.
Almost nine out of ten people survive bowel cancer when it is detected and treated earlier on.
Health Minister Eluned Morgan is urging people to use their kit when it arrives in the post.
Starting from today (Wednesday 4 October), people aged 51-54 who are registered with a GP in Wales will be offered self-screening for bowel cancer, and will automatically receive an easy-to-use, bowel screening kit in the post every two years.
The programme will come into full effect for the newly eligible age group gradually over the next year.
Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in Wales. Between 2018-2020 there were nearly 7000 registered cases of bowel cancer, but the survival rate is high.
Completing a home test kit is part of the bowel screening process. In 2019, the Welsh Government introduced a new, easy-to-use, FIT (Faecal Immunochemical Test) at-home testing kit. With increased sensitivity, the kit can better detect bowel cancer in those who are at risk and has contributed to an improved screening uptake of 65% in the current age cohort of men and women aged 55 to 74.
The move is part of a phased approach to lower the screening age to 50, based on the recommendation of the UK National Screening Committee.
Optimising Wales’ Bowel Screening Programme
11/10/2022
I am committed to improving cancer outcomes in Wales. One of the best ways to do this is to detect and diagnose cancer at an earlier stage, when there are potentially more treatment options. Screening is one of the ways we can detect cancer earlier.
Bowel Screening Wales is one of our national screening programmes and currently offers screening every two years to men and women aged 60 to 74.
In 2018, the UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) recommended replacing the guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBt), which was used by the screening programme with the new and more accurate faecal immunochemical testing (FIT), to be provided to men and women aged 50 to 74.
– Eluned Morgan MS
04/10/2022
The expansion will mean 172,000 more people in Wales will start to receive easy to use kits that test for the early stages of bowel cancer. The move is part of a phased approach to lowering the screening age to 50 by October 2024.
People aged 55, 56 and 57 will start to be invited for screening from Wednesday 5th October and will receive their home testing kits in the post. The programme will be rolled out to the newly eligible age group gradually over the next 12 months.
09/07/2022
Wales must move faster to lower the age for bowel cancer screening, Nick Philips, who lost his wife to the disease at 45 has said.
He has been campaigning for the screening programme to be expanded ever since and said he had seen many promises by successive health ministers come to nothing.
“They keep on promising, promising, promising and they’ve never delivered on the pledges,” he said.
“It needs to be done, quicker, there’s been so many different excuses all over the years and I’ve read them all.”
Bowel Cancer Screening
02/04/2016
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK but if it’s detected early, before symptoms appear, it is far easier to treat and survival rates are much higher.
A delay in implementing new ways to screen for bowel cancer in Wales is risking lives, a charity has said.
The UK body advising the health service recommended a new test is introduced which is easier for people to complete at home.
Over 50s bowel cancer tests review by Welsh Government
06/02/2015
Bowel cancer tests are currently available to people over 60 but plans to extend to those in their 50s is under review by the Welsh government.
The disease is Wales’ most common form of cancer and currently men and women aged 60 to 74 are eligible for free screening.
The age limit was due to be lowered this year but it has been postponed.
Merger with Cancer Research & Genetics UK
19/05/2014
The charity Bowel Cancer Wales has merged with Cancer Research & Genetics UK.
Campaigner wants cancer drug fund
26/08/2017
Nick Phillips, director of the campaign group Bowel Cancer Wales, lost his wife to cancer more than six years ago. He told Nick Palit that the issue of cancer drug funding had become a political football but he believes access to trial drugs could have prolonged his wife’s life.
Click here to hear Nick speak.
Martyn Young raises 200.00 for Bowel Cancer Wales
23/10/2012
Martyn Young of Cardiff raise £200 for Bowel Cancer Wales by running in the Cardiff half marathon.
Bowel Cancer Wales involved with the All Wales Medicines Steering Group
23/10/2012
Bowel Cancer Wales links with the inaugural meeting of patient involvement in AWMSG.
Cancer Drugs Fund for Wales
25/07/2012
Welsh Conservatives petition for Cancer Drugs Fund for Wales.
Campaign for Katie Rees for the drug Avastin and Cancer Drugs fund for Wales
27/04/2012
A campaign has been started for the drug Avastin for Katie Rees a bowel cancer patient from Cardiff aged 30 years and for a Cancer drugs fund for Wales. The campaign started/supported by The Pamela Northcott Fund www.pamelanorthcottfund.org.uk founded by Kate Small has recently highlighted on BBC news. The campaign can be followed and supported on Facebook on www.facebook.com/CancerDrugsFundforWales.
Individual cancer funding drug requests.
01/01/2012
The Welsh Health minister has agreed to publish details by each LHB in Wales for individual patient funding requests for high cost cancer and other drugs.Patient confidentiality is paramount and the results will ensure transparency to the availability of these drugs compared to the other regions of the UK.
Cancer patient may have to move to England to get her treatment.
22/08/2011
Cancer patient Lorrainne Redmond from Cardiff may have to move to England to recieve the life extending drug Avastin currently being denied to patients in Wales due mainly to its cost effectiveness.
The fund currently available in England and Scotland would cost around £10 million.
The NHS in Wales currently underspend its medicines budget by tens of millions of pounds so why cant some of that money be used for the fund.
Cancer Drugs Campaign
28/07/2011
Bowel Cancer Wales launches campaign for life extending Cancer drugs to be made more widely available.
Bowel Cancer Wales donates £1500.00 to Cancer Research at Cardiff University.
30/04/2011
Bowel Cancer Wales has donated £1500.00 to Professor Sampsom at Cardiff University to help fund his research into Bowel Cancer and its Genetic links.
Wales falling behind in bowel cancer screening.
07/04/2011
Flexible Simoidoscopy has been recommended by the UK National screening committee to ministers for introduction in England.
Cancer Rally at the Senedd/Welsh Assembly 2011
21/03/2011
Cancer Rally at the Senedd calling for an all party Welsh Cancer screening committee to address and regularly review cancer screening services. The event was organised by Jayne Sullivan (the most prominent cancer campaigner in Wales) in association with Bowel Cancer Wales and other Cancer charities and organisations. Watch the video film on you tube listed under Jayne Sullivan-Cancer Rally 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?y=Ozq4BB7z2fc
New website launched called The Cancer Genetic Story Bank
08/12/2010
The storybank is simply an online collection of stories about cancer genetics. It consists of digital stories from patients covering topics such as living with the risk of cancer, compiling a family tree, telling a family member about a cancer diagnosis and making decisions about surgery and screening.
www.cancergeneticsstorybank.co.uk
Christmas Concert 1st Dec
07/11/2010
Christmas concert with The Lewis Merthyr Band.
The Rose and Crown Graig raises money for Bowel Cancer Wales.
28/10/2010
The Rose and Crown on the Graig raises £400.00 for Bowel Cancer Wales.
Bowel Health test kit available in pharmacies.
15/09/2010
Self – check Bowel Health test, £9.99 from High Street pharmacists or www. stressnomore.com
Mr Dukes Triumphant return
11/09/2010
Mr Dukes Triumphant return from his walk around the coastline of Britain for Bowel Cancer Wales. Can be watched on youtube.com under Mr Duke Walks For Bowel Cancer Wales.
Carolyn Robertsons story on how Bowel Screening Wales saved her life.
06/07/2010
Carolyn Robertson, a lovely lady from Cardiff, is supporting and promoting the charity with various fundraising events. Carolyn has beaten Bowel Cancer thanks to the Welsh Assembly/NHS screening initiative. Read her full story on her website: www.cardsbycaro.com
Carolyn produces lovely designed cards which can be purchased via her website above. She is donating 20% of her profits on the sale of the cards to the charity Please have a look at her range and help us beat bowel cancer.
Mr Duke walks the coastline of Britain for Bowel Cancer Wales.
14/03/2010
David Edwards aged 26 from Cilfynydd, Pontypridd is walking the coastline of Britain for Bowel Cancer Wales. He started on 14/3/2010 and is walking around 3,000 miles clockwise from Cardiff. He is doing it to raise awareness of the disease after his family had been struck with the illness. It is a tremendous challenge to undertake and at time of writing he is currently in Morecambe Lancashire. He has been interviewed and been followed by Radio Cymru along the way and can be followed on facebook if registered for daily blogs of his whereabouts and how he is getting along on the heading Mr Duke walks the coastline of Britain for Bowel Cancer Wales.
Energetic pair get their running shoes on in memory of partners late mum.
03/03/2010
Two sisters in law are getting set to tear up the streets of Pontypridd as they run 15k in memory of their partners mum.Gemma Bosher-Jarvis and Michele David will don their running shoes on March 20th to raise money and awareness for the Pontypridd based charity. “Having lost a close family member to this awful disease, I want the run to raise local awareness that early screening can catch it in its early stages, prolonging life and improving the survival rate.” Gemma said.
The Doctor’s Dilemma
02/09/2008
“What is very hard for many doctors to do is to have to explain to patients that an appropriate drug treatment for them is too expensive to prescribe.
“The health watchdog NICE is regularly refusing new therapies to treat cancer and uses a cut-off of £28,000 a year as a basis of evaluation. It would be better if it evaluated medicines on the basis of how long they prolong a person’s life…”
Taken from a Daily Express interview with Oncologist Dr Justin Stebbings, senior lecturer at Imperial College, London.
Welsh Minister Promise
The health minister, Brian Gibbon, in 2008 promised that all the people of Wales between the ages of 50 and 74 years would be offered bowel cancer screening by 2015.
Unfortunately, to date this promise has not been met and we are still waiting. The current FOBT (Faecal Occult Blood Test) is being replaced by the new improved FIT (Faecal Immunochemical Test) in 2019 in Wales.
The new FIT test requires just one sample, is more accurate and will hopefully increase the uptake of screening and ultimately same lives.
Lower age for bowel cancer screening – News Article
05/03/2007
Nick Phillips, who is in the process of setting up a new charity – Bowel Cancer Wales – wants to raise awareness about the disease, in a bid to reduce the number of people developing it.
Interviewed by Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail
Bowel Cancer Discovery by Scientists in Wales
15/02/2007
When healthy parents both carry a defective gene called MYH, their children are at very high risk of coming down with bowel cancer, researchers at the University of Wales College of Medicine say in an article in this tomorrow’s eminent ‘ The Lancet’ journal for the medical profession.
14/02/2007
An important advance in understanding bowel cancer has been made by researchers at the University of Bristol, UK.