New North West Cancer Research campaign features inspiring stories of bowel cancer survivors from across the region

From family celebrations to fitness goals, North West Cancer Research’s latest bowel screening campaign is showcasing the priceless moments that early detection can help protect.

Featuring the inspiring stories of bowel cancer survivors from across the region, I’m Here Today…launches today (Thursday 9 July 2026), highlighting the importance of completing and returning at-home bowel screening kits.

Across the UK, bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, with people over 50 facing the highest risk.

In the North West, bowel cancer is the second biggest cause of cancer deaths; however, screening can help find bowel cancer at an early stage, when it’s easier to treat.

Faecal Immunochemical Test, or “FIT kits”, are non-invasive, at-home bowel screening tests that check for invisible-to-the-eye traces of blood in poo, which can be an early indicator of bowel cancer. 

The kits are sent every two years to people aged 50-74. However, around one third of people who receive a bowel test kit fail to return it, meaning early signs of cancer could go undetected. 

To encourage higher uptake of the test, I’m Here Today… features six people from across the North West – three of whom are from Cheshire – sharing their powerful stories of the moments they’re now able to enjoy because their cancer was spotted early. 

Among those featured is Peter Steel, from Chester, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2025. Dad-of-two Peter says he is forever grateful to the screening kit for detecting his cancer early and ensuring he was able to walk his daughter down the aisle earlier this month. 

Peter, 67, said: “I vividly remember speaking to a friend who had been diagnosed with bowel cancer years previously having done a screening kit – he told me how the test saved his life and it really stuck with me.

“I hadn’t done a kit before, always finding an excuse to ignore them. But this time, I did. I was brought in for further investigations and was told I had cancer. Hearing that six-letter word, ‘cancer’, is a feeling you cannot explain. Luckily, it was caught early and I’m still here today.

“I always knew walking my daughter down the aisle would be one of the happiest moments of my life – but it was even more special and poignant because, had I not done that kit, I might not have been there to give her away. If you have the test, just do it – it really could save your life.”

Daniela Dell’Orco, from Neston, and Karen Glover, from Chester, are also among those championing the charity’s campaign.

Daniela, 63, said: “When I was diagnosed after having no symptoms, my first thought was: ’I’m too busy to be ill!’ I lived life to the full, eating healthily and keeping fit, so it didn’t seem fair. Now though, I am fully recovered and am enjoying my retirement doing all the things I love – but this might not have been possible if I hadn’t done the kit.”

Karen, 61, says she is thankful that she was able to celebrate her 60^th birthday because of her early diagnosis. She said: “I was diagnosed with bowel cancer at 58. The test takes literally minutes to do and is so easy – if you have it at home, just do it and send it back.”

The most common symptoms of bowel cancer are:

• Changes in your poo – such as softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation
• Needing to poo more or less often
• Blood in your poo – may look red or black
• Bleeding from your bottom
• The urge to go the toilet, even if you have just been
• Tummy pain, lump in your tummy or bloating
• Unexplainable weight loss
• Feeling very tired or short of breath

Dale Vimalachandran, Reader in Colorectal Surgery, University of Liverpool and Honorary Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, Countess of Chester, said: “The earlier bowel cancer is detected, the more treatable it is, which is why is it so important for people to use and return their FIT kits as soon as possible, even if they have not experienced the main symptoms of bowel cancer.

“Many people may delay using and returning their kit, because they are scared, or embarrassed to do so. There is nothing to be ashamed of when completing a medical test, and the earlier you do so, the sooner you will know its outcome.

“Bowel cancer screening saves lives and can help put your mind at ease. When you receive your FIT kit, don’t put it off, use and return it.”

North West Cancer Research is dedicated to putting the region’s cancer needs first by funding life-saving research and education projects that tackle the cause, improve the care and find the cure for cancer. 

Alastair Richards, CEO at North West Cancer Research, said:

“Early-stage bowel cancer is highly treatable, but only if we catch it in time. That’s why, as part of this campaign, we are urging everyone who receives a FIT kit to use it and return it straight away. 

“The North West faces a stark reality: cancer rates here sit above the national average, driven in part by significant deprivation across the region. At North West Cancer Research, we refuse to accept that as inevitable.

“By funding pioneering, regionally tailored research and working closely with both leading experts and the communities we serve, we are determined to close that gap – and deliver real, lasting improvements in diagnosis and treatment for people across the North West.”

Find out more information about I’m Here Today… including signs and symptoms of bowel cancer, here.

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