DON'T DIE COS YOU'RE SHY
The Sun’s Deborah James stars on Lorraine to urge you to check poo for signs of bowel cancer
The mum-of-two appeared on the show to raise awareness of the disease, which claims 16,000 lives every year
SUN columnist Deborah James, who has stage 4 bowel cancer, has starred on Lorraine to tell viewers to check their poo for cancer signs.
The mum-of-two appeared on the ITV show today to discuss the disease, which claims 16,000 lives every year, as part of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.
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It comes a week after she discovered that the four cancerous tumours invading her liver are stable - meaning they haven't grown.
The 37-year-old told the Scottish presenter: "I got some really good news recently. So despite all the treatment I’ve been through, actually my cancer in my recent scan last week is stable.
"For anyone that lives with metastatic cancer being stable is a really good thing.
I might be sitting here going, 'check your poo', one moment and then there's the reality
Deborah James
"As a result, I've got an operation on Monday to remove some more tumours, but I think that's really positive news."
She said that by sharing her story she hoped that it would help others.
Deborah said: "I might be sitting here going, 'check your poo', one moment and then dancing around, but the next moment there's the reality, with the skin rash and not knowing whether you've got a future.
"Ultimately all I want to know that by sharing my story I can give people hope."
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Deborah was sitting next to the show's resident doctor Hilary Jones, who advised viewers on the signs to look out for.
He said: "A recent survey has shown that about half of people won't go and see their GP for initial consultation because they're too embarrassed.
"Doctors are unshockable, we see it as being part of the body.
"What I would say is use the language that you're used to, whether you call it number two, poo, crap, whatever, just talk about the language you know.
Whether you call it number two, poo, crap, whatever, just talk about the language you know
Dr Hilary Jones
"Don't try and put it in medical terms and dress it up as bowel movements and motions - use the terminology that you're familiar with - and it's fine to introduce a bit of humour to the consultation.
"Have a laugh about it, break the ice, but be frank about your symptoms because if you've got the early symptoms of bowel cancer the doctor wants to know about it so they can investigate and save lives."
Bowel cancer signs
Asked what to look out for, Dr Hilary said: "The first thing is persistent and unexplained change in your normal bowel habit.
"You might be a once a week person, you might be a once a day person, but if it changes persistently for more than a few weeks you need to go and talk to the doctor about it.
"The next thing you want to look for is any blood from your bottom or any blood mixed from the motions.
"It could be on the surface of the poo, it could be blackened and it could be part of the poo - that means bleeding from higher up the bowel.
"Look for any sign of blood and report it. Don't assume it's piles or haemorrhoids because people have died doing that.
"Third thing, is any abdominal lump or tummy pain that's there and bothering you. Don't ignore it or think it's IBS - just go to your doctor.
"And probably lastly, any unexplained loss of appetite or loss of weight, tiredness which might be the result of slow, gradual blood loss which you haven't noticed."
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Deborah was diagnosed with the bowel cancer just over two years ago.
After being told her latest round of treatment - three new drugs - is working, she said it was "like being given a new lease of life".
Deborah, who writes her weekly Things Cancer Made Me Say column for Sun Online, said: "It's about the best news a stage 4 cancer patient can get - in the absence of a miracle.
"It's all I can hope for. My cancer should have killed me by now, if you believe the stats.
"So to hear I am stable is a huge deal. I really wasn't expecting it."
The news came just after Deborah visited a hospice with the BBC, forcing her to confront the reality of her own death.
Since being diagnosed days before Christmas in 2016, Deborah, from South West London, has been through:
- a bowel resection to remove a 6cm tumour
- four ops to blast lung tumours after her cancer spread
- Cyber Knife targeted radiotherapy to tackle a new tumour wrapped around an artery
- 21 rounds of chemo
- four hits of new targeted drug therapy
Deborah's latest results mean that her "heroic" team of medics at The Royal Marsden can attempt to "blast" what remains of the four liver tumours.
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Having had several ops, chemo, targeted radiotherapy and now a new type of targeted drug therapy, Deborah said she's plagued by a fear her options might run out if this treatment doesn't workWith so many treatments already under her belt, Deborah said it is daunting to think she might run out of options.
";Options, after stable, is the next most important thing a stage 4 cancer patient can hear," she added.
"As long as I know I have options, I have hope.
THINGS CANCER MADE ME SAY
"When you go through so many different treatments you worry there might not be many left, if the latest one doesn't work.
"That's why it's so significant for me that these drugs are working, and are keeping my tumours stable.
"I was really poorly from December to February, and recently I've started feeling better so it's nice to have positive news."
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The mum-of-two said hearing the word 'stable' is about the best news she can hope for with her type of cancer - in the absence of a miracle
The Sun's Deborah James tells Lorraine she's proof you can live with stage 4 cancer
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