Cancer survivor joins campaign to raise awareness

Peter Jones had an aggressive form of cancer but surgery removed the tumour completely in the early stages.

The 72-year-old is now helping to raise money for the leading cancer charity by supporting its Decembeard campaign. He will be growing a beard in December and is encouraging more men to lay down their razors.

Every year, more than 41,500 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer and more than 16,000 die of the disease.

Peter said he had a gut feeling something was not right in November and December last year.

“I had extreme tiredness, a pain in my side and my bowel movements had changed,” he explained.

“I had done a bowel cancer screening test once before, a couple of years previously, and when I felt something was wrong last year, I phoned up and asked for another screening kit.”

He returned it on New Year’s Eve then received a letter three days later, with an appointment to see a nurse.

“I had surgery several weeks later on February 26. It was all very quick. It felt like I was being fast-tracked.

“The surgery removed all of the tumour, which was in its very early stage so no further treatment was required.

“I was told by my surgeon at the post-op meeting that it was an aggressive form of cancer and if I had delayed the test by two or three months, the outcome could have been very different.”

He said he wanted to support the campaign, which has a Be Brave, Don’t Shave theme, because others, like teenage charity activist Stephen Sutton, are not diagnosed as early as he was.

“That’s why I’m taking part in Decembeard, to raise awareness of bowel cancer and encourage more people to do a bowel cancer screening test if they have any concerns,” he added.

Visit www.justgiving.com/PETER-JONES43 to sponsor Peter.