A woman from County Down has shared her story as part of a campaign urging earlier bowel cancer screening in Northern Ireland. Pamela Redmond, now 56, lived with symptoms including bloating, nausea, and constipation for years before being diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer in 2020. She was initially told she had irritable bowel syndrome and believes her tumour could have been detected earlier if screening had been offered at age 50.
Pamela's diagnosis came after an emergency hospital admission. She described experiencing faeculent vomiting, where bowel contents came out of her mouth, which finally led to urgent medical attention. A CT scan revealed a large tumour, and she underwent surgery to remove 25 lymph nodes and part of her colon.
Bowel Cancer UK is calling for earlier screening in Northern Ireland, where the programme lags behind the rest of the UK. Almost nine in 10 bowel cancer patients wait longer than the 62-day target for diagnostic tests. From January to June 2023, only 17.4% of patients began treatment within this timeframe.
Chris Robinson, another bowel cancer survivor from Carrickfergus, chose private healthcare after struggling to get a diagnosis through the NHS. He said he saw a consultant within four days after arranging a private appointment.
Bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer in Northern Ireland, with about 460 deaths annually. When diagnosed early, 91% of patients survive five years or more, compared to 13% at a late stage.
