Bowel Cancer – It’s easily missed
Marie Keating Foundation 2026 Campaign
Blood in stool. Bloating. Weight loss. Tiredness. Cramps. Diarrhoea.
These are the symptoms of bowel cancer. And they’re the symptoms most likely to be brushed aside, explained away, or ignored completely. Don’t ignore them.
1 in 10 bowel cancer diagnoses in Ireland is in someone under 50. And bowel cancer has a 5-year survival rate of 97% when caught at stage one – that drops to just 14% at stage four.
If you have sustained symptoms – any of those words on that toilet paper – go to your GP. At any age. Don’t wait to be contacted by a screening programme. Push for answers.
And if you’re 45 or older, make it part of your annual NCT with your GP. Ask about bowel cancer screening by name.
A huge thank you to the Marie Keating Foundation for this campaign – and for something much closer to home. It was their Positive Living group for stage four cancer patients that first brought together the founders of Bowel Cancer Ireland. Our organisation wouldn’t exist without them.
Reduce the screening age campaign
CAMPAIGN: #Noregrets
You didn’t stop striving for change and raising awareness — and we won’t either.”
Our 2025 Campaign, in conjunction with the Marie Keating Foundation – You didn’t stop striving for change and raising awareness — and we won’t either.” – was a tribute to honour our patients ambassadors who passed away. Families members contributed to this heartbreaking video. It is a reminder how devasting a late diagnosis can be and why action must be taken.
#NoRegrets
Bowel Cancer Ireland upped their game with Marie Keating Foundation. It is bright and colourful social media video now and we have survivors as it is important to get an early diagnosis.
Find out more about the 2024 campaign
Reduce the screening age campaign
In addition to the #NoRegrets campaign, there was a campaign to reduce the screening age from 59 to 50, over 9,725 signed the petition. Thank you.
#NoRegrets
The concept for 2023 was patients who regretted not advocating for themselves better. All patients were diagnosed at stage 4. It was black and white to emphasis the regret and all patients were under 50. It was successful on social media and brought a great awareness on taboo subject.
Find out more about the first #NoRegrets campaign
New awareness campaign
Bowel Cancer Ireland approached the Marie Keating Foundation back in 2022 to start the new awareness campaign for bowel cancer.
Bowel Cancer Ireland has worked with Irish Cancer Society to assist in providing patient ambassadors and assisting in their awareness campaigns in the last few years. Bowel Cancer Ireland are delighted that charities are helping us to spread the awareness so younger patients are aware of bowel cancer symptoms and head to the GP sooner.
TV APPEARANCES
TV appearances about Bowel Cancer
Chef Joe Shannon
Clodagh Downing on Ireland AM
(17:53 – Bowel Cancer Awareness)
NEWSPAPER CAMPAIGN
Bowel Cancer Ireland Patients have spread bowel cancer awareness over the last few years. The first part of this page is dedicated to the men and women who spread awareness but sadly, bowel cancer spread further, and they passed away. Bowel Cancer Ireland are eternally grateful for these patients who, despite their pain, wanted to spread awareness.
2024
Sarah Fitzgibbon, GP
- Cork doctor with bowel cancer: ‘More people are getting it under age 50’ – Irish Examiner, (September)
Jennifer Deegan, 45
- ‘My persistence saved my life’ – bowel cancer patient urges people with symptoms to seek help – Irish Cancer Society (April)
Trudy Doherty, Stage 3, 57
- Bowel cancer survivor (57) thankful she didn’t continue to ignore ‘wee voice’ urging her to get checked – Irish Independent (April)
Deirdre Fleming, Member of the Working Group, Stage 4
- “I just want people to hear my story and become more aware of the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer and to not be afraid to talk about your poo.” – working with the Irish Cancer Society (April)
- New measures to tackle alarming rise in gastrointestinal cancers among 25-50 age group – Irish Times (April)
Helen Dunne
- I thought I had a haemorrhoid after giving birth — it was bowel cancer – Irish Examiner (April)
2023
Brendan Donlon – Member of the Working Group, 45, Stage 3
- Brendan Donlon’s Bowel Cancer Story It’s really important that people overcome their squeamishness about this process – with Irish Cancer Society (March)
Deirdre Fleming, Member of the Working Group, 45, Stage 4
- ‘We always pretend to be brave’ Women living with cancer urge others to act on any signs of change – Evoke.ie (April)
- Bowel cancer: ‘I had no pain and I was stage four. Fight for a colonoscopy if you have symptoms’ – Irish Independent (April)
- Bowel cancer patients share wishes and regrets of not getting symptoms checked out earlier – Irish Independent (April)
Our Founding Members Campaigns
Our Founding Members wanted to spread awareness and highlight the importance of going to the GP sooner!!!
Niamh Conroy, Founding member of Bowel Cancer Ireland (RIP – November 2025)
- ‘A mother busy with a young family ignored blood in her stool — she had stage four bowel cancer’ – Irish Examiner (August 2025)
- Cancer care crisis: Delayed diagnosis, two-tier system, and a lack of new treatments – Irish Examiner (April 2024)
- Metastatic cancer: ‘I knew the seriousness of it but I always felt that I’d get
through it — I’m known for being stubborn’ – Irish Independent (April 2023) - One in 10 bowel cancer cases now occur in people under 50 – Irish Independent (April 2023)
- Rate of colorectal cancer in the under 50s has almost doubled in just 25 years – new campaign – Irish Medical Times (April 2023)
Mary Barnes, Founding member of Bowel Cancer Ireland (RIP – April 2025)
- Bowel cancer: ‘I had bloating and felt a bit off. If your gut tells you to go to the doctor, just go’ – Irish Independent (April, 2023)
Clodagh Downing, Founding member of Bowel Cancer Ireland (RIP – December 2024)
- I was told it was perimenopause – but I had incurable bowel cancer – Irish Examiner (May)
Jane McCoy, Founding member of Bowel Cancer Ireland (RIP – August 2024)
- Johnjoe McCoy speaks about his loss of Jane who passed away in August 2024
‘Since my wife died of bowel cancer, what I find hardest is the loneliness’ – Irish Independent (April)
- Jane met the then Taoaiseach back in August 2024 but he honoured her in April 2025 to keep her memory alive and spread awareness (view Facebook post)
Patricia Stack. Founding Member of Bowel Cancer Ireland (RIP – May 2024)
- Patricia featured in the Marie Keating Foundation’s #NoRegrets campaign, emphasizing the importance of not ignoring potential symptoms and seeing a GP to raise awareness about bowel cancer signs.
Heather Skinner, Founding member of Bowel Cancer Ireland (RIP – Oct 2022)
- Lasting legacy: Heather Skinner’s inspiring words of hope and awareness – Irish Country Magazine, (April)
This interview with Heather Skinner took place in January 2022 and appeared in the March/April 2022 issue of Irish Country Magazine. Sadly, Heather lost her fight with cancer in October 2022. In sharing this, her legacy to spread awareness of bowel cancer and inspire hope in others, continues.