HEALTH CHECK
BBC newsreader George Alagiah has died at the age of 67, his agent has said.
The journalist was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2014 and underwent intensive treatment.
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The News At Six anchor returned to screens last year after taking time out to deal with the disease.
His agent confirmed George passed away peacefully today surrounded by his family and loved ones.
She said: "George fought until the bitter end but sadly that battle ended earlier today.
"George was deeply loved by everybody who knew him, whether it was a friend, a colleague or a member of the public. He simply was a wonderful human being.
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"My thoughts are with Fran, the boys and his wider family."
The Sri Lanka-born journalist, the face of BBC One’s News At Six since 2007, was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer, which had spread to his liver and lymph nodes, in April 2014.
George campaigned to get people to understand the symptoms - and urged the public to learn signs that could be a 'red flag'.
He presented a podcast, , to help raise awareness of the disease, interviewing fellow patients and experts.
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And in May, in what would be his final tweet, he urged people to take up the invite of free NHS screening kits.
"I wish I had access to one of these kits when I was first diagnosed nine years ago," he wrote.
Bowel cancer is the second deadliest cancer in the UK, claiming 16,500 lives each year.
But it can be cured if it’s caught early enough.
More than nine in ten patients will live five years or longer if it’s spotted early and treated swiftly.
The 5 early symptoms of bowel cancer you must know
Being aware of the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer, spotting any changes to your normal and going to your doctor is vital.
If you spot any signs it's important to get seen by your GP.
- Bleeding from the back passage, or blood in your poo
- A change in your normal toilet habits - going more frequently for example
- Pain or a lump in your tummy
- Extreme tiredness
- Losing weight
Tumours in the bowel typically bleed, which can cause a shortage of red blood cells, known as anaemia. It can cause tiredness and sometimes breathlessness.
In some cases bowel cancer can block the bowel, this is known as a bowel obstruction.
Other signs of bowel cancer include:
- Gripping pains in the abdomen
- Feeling bloated
- Constipation and being unable to pass wind
- Being sick
- Feeling like you need to strain - like doing a number two - but after you've been to the loo
- you're aged over 50
- you have a strong family history of the disease
- a history of non-cancerous growths, known as polyps, in your bowel
- long-term inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
- type 2 diabetes
- an unhealthy lifestyle - you smoke, are overweight or obese and do not get enough exercise
The NHS bowel cancer screening programme means DIY tests are available to all those aged 60 to 74 years old.
But thanks to The Sun's No Time 2 Lose campaign, which launched in April 2018, those tests are now being rolled out to people from their 50th birthday.
The Sun campaign, spearheaded by our columnist Dame Deborah James and with the support of leading charity Bowel Cancer UK, called for the screening age to be lowered to 50 - bringing England in line with Scotland.
In the summer of 2018, health secretary Matt Hancock announced screening in England would be lowered to 50 - marking a victory for The Sun and campaigners.
The roll out is being staggered to include different age groups, but eventually all those aged 50 and over will receive invites in the post.
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It's a move that could save thousands of lives every year.
What are the risk factors of bowel cancer?
You're at greater risk of bowel cancer if you have one or more of the following risk factors:
- you're aged over 50
- you have a strong family history of the disease
- a history of non-cancerous growths, known as polyps, in your bowel
- long-term inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
- type 2 diabetes
- an unhealthy lifestyle - you smoke, are overweight or obese and do not get enough exercise
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