A MICHELDEVER bowel cancer survivor has joint a campaign calling for screening to be available for people in their 50s.

Simon Hawkins is backing charity Beating Bowel Cancer’s call to have the bowel cancer screening age equalised throughout the UK.

Beating Bowel Cancer say that if the bowel screening age was lowered, over 4,000 patients a year in their 50s would be given the chance of being diagnosed early (at stage 1) which offers a 97 per cent survival rate.

Without screening the majority of these patients will not be diagnosed until a later stage through their GP or A&E. At a later stage the cancer is more difficult to treat successfully and their odds of survival could be reduced to as little as 7 per cent.

Mr Hawkins, 61, said: "If the screening age was reduced from 60 to 50 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to bring it in line with Scotland, thousands of bowel cancer patients each year would have the opportunity of being diagnosed at an earlier stage.”

He was told in 2010 he had bowel cancer and that it had spread, he was told by doctors he had 18 months to live.

There was the possibility of a life-prolonging operation but his chances of being fit enough to survive the invasive procedure were considered minimal.

Eventually he did have the procedure, which involved removing his gall bladder, duodenum, right kidney and half his pancreas, as well as reconstruction of a new duodenum, seven delicate new joins to his stomach and bowel and liver resection. It was a world first and made him a world record holder at the age of 56.

Nearly five years later he is still in remission and making the most of the chances the surgeons have given him.

Mr Hawkins added: "I am delighted to hear of Beating Bowel Cancer's new campaign which is something very dear to my heart as someone who was diagnosed at the age of 53.

"It never occurred to me that I was at risk from bowel cancer and screening from 50 would have been a complete life-changer for me in a very positive way, as now at 61 I find myself in remission and missing my right kidney, gall bladder, duodenum and half of my pancreas.

“We all need to get behind Beating Bowel Cancer’s campaign to make sure people in their 50s throughout the UK are screened for this awful disease.

“I’d urge all the 50-year-olds in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, their family and friends – and those who will one day be in that age group – to support this change to bowel cancer screening to ensure that the odds are on their side in the future.”

To support Beating Bowel Cancer’s campaign visit www.beatingbowelcancer.org