People unaware good diet and exercise decreases bowel cancer risk
Patients are dying from bowel cancer unnecessarily as they are being diagnosed too late, according to Mark Flannagan, chief executive of Beating Bowel Cancer.His comments come in the wake of research by Cancer Research UK, which revealed that people are unaware that eating a healthy diet, managing weight and taking exercises can lower the risk of developing bowel cancer.
Mr Flannagan said: "If diagnosed early, over 90 per cent of bowel cancer patients could be successfully treated, but currently around half of patients are diagnosed with advanced cancer."
Sara Hiom, director of health information at Cancer Research UK, said that people whose diet is high in fibre and low in red and processed meat are less likely to develop bowel cancer.
It is also advisable to reduce alcohol intake, stop smoking, maintain a healthy weight and take regular exercise to lessen the chances of developing the disease, she said.
