Wrexham surgeon urging people take part in bowel screening process

A Wrexham colorectal surgeon is urging people who are eligible for bowel screening to take part in the screening process to help detect the disease.

Modern developments in surgery and treatment options mean that more people are surviving bowel cancer than ever before, but early detection aids the chance of recovery and so screening is crucial.

Bowel screening is a simple test that is done in the home where small samples of bowel motions are collected and then sent back in a hygienically sealed envelope to Bowel Screening Wales.

The sample is tested and individuals may then be called for further tests if they find hidden blood in the sample.

Surgeon Michael Thornton explained: “For many, just the word cancer can fill people with fear but what is really rewarding about being a colorectal surgeon is that we can offer potential of a cure for many patients who have been diagnosed with bowel cancer.

“Many we operate on will be cured of the disease following an operation and will have a very good quality of life after that too which is great.”

In addition to the screening process which is currently available to men and women aged between 60-74, bowel cancer is also diagnosed following GP referrals because of changes in bowel habit or blood found in poo.

But a cancer diagnosis can be delayed because people are too embarrassed to report their symptoms.

“It’s a terrible thing for patients having to face cancer but we have a great chance of treating them and the earlier we get to a patient, the better the outcome will be. Cancers that are detected through the screening programme are likely to be earlier cancers with better chance of cure,” said Michael.

“However, even where we can’t offer a cure for a patient, the care that can now be provided by oncologists is so good that increasingly people are living with cancer and achieving a decent quality of life.”

“In the past, if someone had bowel cancer that, for example, spread to the liver, they may only have had six months to live. These days that same patient may still be living five years later because of the types of drug treatments that are available. Outcomes are improving all the time which is great to see”.

This view is shared by cancer patient Bruce Weston, 75 from Flintshire. Bruce was diagnosed with bowel cancer two years ago after reporting symptoms to his GP which included blood in his stool. Following tests, he underwent surgery in Wrexham Maelor Hospital to remove the cancer.

“Having surgery has given me my life back,” said Bruce.

“The surgeon was so empathetic and tremendous at explaining the process. Recovery went well and I am fine. I was 73 when I had surgery and now I am 75 and living a good life.

“The surgeon Mr Chandran and the team in Wrexham have been brilliant and the followup from the specialist nurses and the district nursing team to help me recover and get used to life after the operation has been invaluable.

“Yes I am living with a stoma bag but my quality of life is great and I feel very lucky. There is very little that I can’t do now that I did before.

“If anything my health has improved, the team put me onto the exercise referral scheme and so I now go the gym once a week and I’m able to live a good life and do the things I enjoy.

“I would say to anyone experiencing symptoms, don’t be embarrassed, please go and see your GP and for goodness sake take the test and follow it up. We have a societal problem and we are very coy about body issues.

“Yes I’m living with a bag but I’ve come a long way and now it’s just part of my life and I’m alive.”

The colorectal team at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, led by Mr Thornton, are celebrating the release of the latest National Bowel Cancer Audit which revealed that the survival rates for patients following bowel cancer surgery in Wrexham are excellent with over 80 per cent of patients surviving post-surgery for over two years.

The report shows that Wrexham is one of the best performing units in Wales for quality of surgery and length of stay in hospital.

Surgeon Michael Thornton puts the success down to strong teamwork and the transformation of the way surgeons work.

He said “It reflects a lot of work from the entire unit. This is not just about the surgeons, it is the entire multi-disciplinary team too. The specialist nurses are great, 100 per cent of our patients have specialist nurse appointments and the care patients receive on the wards, both before and after the operation, is excellent too.

“The strong team ethic helps our patients get good outcomes and good recoveries without complications.”

The team have invested in training more surgeons to perform bowel surgery as keyhole operations which can lead to a quicker recovery. The individual surgeons perform a high volume of operations every year which is something that Mr Thornton believes is key to their success.

“The report is really positive and shows we have 68 per cent of patients in Wrexham receiving keyhole surgery for their cancer which we know can lead to a smoother recovery for the patient and a shorter stay in hospital.

“Practice makes perfect and this is true for the whole unit. Individually, we perform more surgeries than a surgeon might do in a larger hospital.

“Doing the surgery repeatedly means that you get better at it and the team that you are working with also get better at delivering the care needed.”