Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2014 | Page 86

FASHION HEALTH & BEAUTY

Make regular checks
E

ven the tiniest amount of blood
in your urine can be an early
indication that something is
wrong. That is the message from clinical
staff at St. Mary’s Hospital, Newport in
support of the national ‘Blood in Pee’
campaign which encourages the public
to see their GP as soon as possible if they
notice blood in their urine.
On the Island around 300 urological
cancers are diagnosed every year. Dr
David Isaac, Island Macmillan GP
Cancer Lead, said: “Blood in pee is often
due to infection but can sometimes
be an early sign that something more
serious is going on, so if you do get any
blood in your pee don't ignore it but
make an appointment with your doctor
to get it checked out.”
The ‘Blood in Pee’ campaign is part of
the wider ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ campaign
to raise awareness that this can be an
early symptom of bladder or kidney
cancer. As with most cancers, the earlier
you act, the better your survival chances
are if cancer is diagnosed.
Blood in your urine is the most
common symptom of both bladder and

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kidney cancer. Other kidney cancer
symptoms include a pain below the ribs
that doesn’t go away or a lump in your
stomach.
Other bladder cancer symptoms
include needing to pee very often or very
suddenly or pain while peeing. Anne
Snow, Lead Cancer Nurse at St. Mary’s
Hospital, said: “You’re not wasting
anyone’s time by getting symptoms
checked out and it really isn’t something
to be embarrassed about.
“And it doesn’t always mean cancer,
it could be a symptom of a less serious
condition that still requires treatment,
but it’s important to see your doctor
as soon as possible to find out for sure.
They will examine you and, if they
think your symptoms need further
assessment, refer you to a specialist
urologist. It can make a real difference
to a patient’s outcome if cancer is
diagnosed early.”
St. Mary’s
Hospital
Urology
Team work
closely with

Portsmouth Hospitals in undertaking
specialist investigations, treatments and
surgery that is necessary in the diagnosis
and treatment of bladder and kidney
cancer.
Each year around 16,600 people in
England are diagnosed with bladder
and kidney cancer. Bladder and kidney
cancer are more common as people
get older – around 15,600 of those
diagnosed are 50 and over.
When diagnosed at the earliest stage,
one year survival for kidney and bladder
cancers is as high as 92-97 per cent. At a
late stage, it drops to just 25-34 per cent.
For more information see www.
nhs.uk/bloodinpee or go to www.
fightbladdercancer.co.uk