George Alagiah: BBC colleague Jeremy Bowen urges individuals to examine their poo for bowel most cancers signs after demise of newsreader

BBC journalist Jeremy Bowen has urged individuals to get examined for bowel most cancers following the demise of his colleague and good friend George Alagiah, who died on Monday.

Speaking to Sky News, the BBC correspondent, who revealed his personal bowel cancer analysis in 2019, implored those that acquired NHS take a look at kits to make use of them.

The 63-year-old stated: “For God’s sake use it. You’re an idiot if you chuck it away. It could save your own life.”

Alagiah, 67, was identified in 2014 with stage 4 bowel most cancers, which had spread to his liver and lymph nodes and needed to endure two rounds of chemotherapy and a number of other operations, together with the removing of most of his liver.

Bowen described how Alagiah would “rationalise his symptoms”, for instance when shedding pounds he stated he would attribute that to exercising or consuming extra greens.

However, the previous Middle East editor, who can be a patron for Bowel Cancer UK, urged individuals to open up concerning the illness if indicators are noticed.

“It involves poo and backsides. We tend not to mention [these things] in polite conversation but actually if anything goes wrong in your toilet activities in a period of over more than a few weeks you need to talk to someone,” stated Bowen, who is almost 5 years into remission.

He stated he was capable of sort out his bowel most cancers early regardless of not having basic signs like blood in his poo or weight reduction.

He determined to go to his GP and get examined after feeling ache whereas working in Iraq and India – just a few weeks later he was discovered to have microscopic quantities of blood in his stool.

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“Four years earlier I had a virtual colonoscopy, a big scan of my gut and had nothing wrong then,” Bowen stated.

In 4 years the journalist went “from nothing wrong” to having a stage three tumour in his bowel and lymph nodes.

He described the most cancers as “really quite advanced” and needed to have surgical procedure and eight rounds of chemotherapy.

“I was really quite ill. Luckily I had done that test. If I hadn’t… I might not be here,” he stated.

Sky News reported 30% of people that get NHS kits to check for the most cancers ignore them, which Bowen strongly suggested in opposition to.

He stated: “Don’t do it. It could be your life at stake.”

Bowel most cancers examine charges soared after the demise of Dame Deborah James final yr from the illness, who additionally inspired the general public to get screened.

Her daughter Eloise has since launched an anniversary clothes line for her late mom’s Bowelbabe Fund.

On Alagiah, who was additionally a vehement advocate of most cancers screening, Bowen stated his good friend had the “right mental attitude” after he knew his most cancers had unfold.

Bowen stated Alagiah “beat the odds” of his stage 4 most cancers however knew it was “going in one direction [which is why] he was so evangelical to get tested if you had any dodgy symptoms”.

Speaking concerning the newsreader, Bowen added: “I met him on his first day at the BBC and showed him around. He was clearly a very nice guy and it emerged he was a very good reporter as well. What followed was a very, very distinguished career.”