MP who lost both parents to bowel cancer backs Sun campaign to start screening for disease at 50 NOT 60
TO lose a parent at any age is a difficult experience for anyone, but to lose both as a young man is heart-breaking.
But that's just what happened to veteran MP John Mann, when both of his were diagnosed with bowel cancer within the same YEAR.
The Bassetlaw politician tragically lost his Dad when he was still a student, aged 21, and his Mum 12 years later.
They never got to see him elected as an MP, where he has served the area for almost 17 years.
His father never even got to meet his wife or three kids.
Today Mr Mann throws his weight behind The Sun's No Time 2 Lose campaign to lower the screening age for bowel cancer to 50, and demands the NHS step up and improve education and access to testing so fewer families have to go through the same loss he did.
He told The Sun: "People don't like talking about cancer full stop.
"But effective education and campaigns like The Sun is running have a very big impact. There are plenty of people who have been alive for decades longer, living healthy lives.
"Neither of my parents saw me become an MP.
"My father never met my wife nor any of my kids. My mother only really knew one of my children.
"That's a huge amount to miss out on. I've already lived longer than both of them."
SCREENING FROM 50 IS A NO BRAINER - IT COULD SAVE THOUSANDS OF LIVES
THE Sun's No Time 2 Lose campaign is calling for bowel cancer screening in England to start at 50 NOT 60.
The move could save more than 4,500 lives a year, experts say.
Bowel cancer is the second deadliest form of the disease, but it can be cured if it's caught early - or better still prevented.
Caught at stage 1 - the earliest stage - patients have a 97 per cent chance of living for five years or longer.
But catch it at stage 4 - when it's already spread - and that chance plummets to just seven per cent.
In April, Lauren Backler, whose mum died of the disease at the age of 55, joined forces with The Sun to launch the No Time 2 Lose campaign, also supported by Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer. Donate .
Lauren delivered a petition to the Department of Health complete with almost 450,000 signatures, to put pressure on the Government to make this vital change - one that could save thousands of lives every year, and the NHS millions.
We all deserve an equal chance to beat this disease, regardless of where we live.
We know bowel cancer is more likely after the age of 50 - so it makes sense to screen from then.
Plus, it's got to save the NHS money in the long-run, catching the disease before patients need serious and expensive treatments.
It's a no brainer, thousands of lives are at stake every year.
You can still sign Lauren's petition to show your support -
Dad Jim was a long-serving Labour councillor until three days before he died of bowel cancer aged 47.
Like most sufferers today - he only found out when he was already ill and visited his doctor.
"He had symptoms but it was much too late by then," Mr Mann recalls. "There were no screenings in those days. It didn't exist.
"He was given just three months to live, but died nine months later."
And the tragedy didn't end there, when Mum Brenda was diagnosed with the disease just three months later.
Thankfully it was a much less aggressive form of the cancer and she went on to live another 12 years, and luckily did get to meet John's wife and first child.
The Sun is campaigning for the age bowel cancer screening begins to be lowered from 60 to 50, which could save more than 4,500 lives every year, and the NHS millions of pounds.
And we want every Brit to know the five red-flag signs of bowel cancer.
One of our own columnists, Deborah James, was diagnosed with the disease at just 35.
And a third of Brits are still clueless about the symptoms too - even though 42,000 people are diagnosed with it every year.
And John also highlights the class divide in NHS care and seeking help too.
"There's a big class difference for who engages with the NHS and who doesn't, particularly in areas like mine," he said.
"It's tradition that men in particular wait until they are very ill before engaging on anything".
His message to the NHS today, where thousands still die from bowel cancer every year, is to "get on with it".
"Basic simple screening should be readily available to everyone, all the time. It should be a norm of life," he said.
"Why stop at 50? I would bring it down lower, but let’s get to 50 first.
"It's vitally important that the NHS go out and say 'here are the screenings available, here is is how to do it'. It would be transforming across communities."
Bowel cancer by numbers...
2 - bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer
4 - it's the fourth most common form of cancer
42,000 - people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year
1,300 - people will lose their lives this month to the disease
15,903 - lives will be lost this year to bowel cancer
44 - people die every day
30 - that's one bowel cancer patient every 30 minutes
15 - every 15 minutes someone is told they have bowel cancer
97 - 97 per cent of people diagnosed in the earliest stages will survive for five years or more
7 - only seven per cent survive when diangnosed at the latest stage
60 - 83 per cent of people who get bowel cancer are over the age of 60
50 - it's more common over the age of 50 but ANYONE can get bowel cancer, you're never too young
2,500 - the number of under 50s diagnosed each year
268,000 - people living with bowel cancer in the UK
MOST READ IN POLITICS
The Sun has teamed up with campaigner Lauren Backler too, who lost her mum to bowel cancer when she was just 55.
If she had been living in Scotland she would have been offered an earlier screening, which Lauren believes could have been the difference between life and death for her mum Fiona.
Last month she handed in her petition to the Department of Health calling on ministers to reduce the age in England now.
MPs from across the political divide rallied around to back our campaign and tell their own stories - including bowel cancer sufferer Andrew Lansley.
And MP Nick Thomas-Symonds raised the issue in Parliament, after losing his mum to the disease.
Responding to Mr Thomas-Symonds's concerns, health minister MP Steve Brine hinted the Government is considering whether to lower the screening age - bringing it in line with Scotland.
He said an independent committee of experts will debate the issue later this summer.
Back The Sun's No Time 2 Lose campaign, tell us why you want to see screening at 50 and share your stories.
Email [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours