Louth has the third highest rate of bowel cancer in the country, according to new data from the Irish Cancer Society.
The study found that 54.97 per 100,000 of Louth’s population were diagnosed with bowel cancer each year. Only Leitrim (56.39) and Cork (57.9) had higher rates.
The society, which based the figures on data from the National Cancer Registry, is designating April bowel cancer awareness month.
Around 2,000 people in Ireland are diagnosed with bowel cancer and 900 people die from it each year – with half diagnosed in the later stages of the disease, which demands more complex treatment and reduces the chances of survival.
“We are encouraging people who may be at a higher risk to review their lifestyle, to see if they can make healthier choices to reduce their risk,” said a spokeswoman.
She said that research has found that adults who increase their physical activity and have a healthy diet can reduce their risk of developing bowel cancer by 30-40%.
Joan Kelly, nursing services manager at the Irish Cancer Society, said: “We are seeing high levels of bowel cancer incidence in some parts of the country.
“This could be due to lifestyle factors or genetic reasons. We are reminding people in these areas to reduce their risk of bowel cancer by making some simple lifestyle changes.”
Symptoms include a change in your normal bowel motion, such as diarrhoea or constipation, feeling you have not emptied your bowel fully after a motion, or pain or discomfort in your abdomen (tummy) or back passage.
Other signals may include trapped wind or fullness in your tummy, weight loss, tiredness and breathlessness, rectal bleeding, blood in the stools or a lump in the tummy area.
Talk of the Town 