[ad_1]
BBC news presenter George Alagiah has opened up about his terminal bowel cancer diagnosis and treatment, admitting he doesn’t want to know about the survival statistics.
George, 63, revealed he was being treated for colorectal cancer in 2014, but in March 2018 revealed it was terminal as it was caught late.
He said on Bowel Cancer UK’s podcast: ‘I decided I didn’t want to know about the survival statistics.
‘It’s a very unpredictable disease, you’re good one week and not the next, good chances one year and not the next.’
He revealed it took him a few months to come to terms with the diagnosis, explaining: ‘It took me about three to six months after my diagnosis to get to a place of contentment.
‘I needed that just to look at my life and say whatever happens, I’m content.’
After being diagnosed in 2014, George underwent 17 rounds of chemotherapy and five operations on the cancer, which had spread to his liver and lymph nodes.
He confirmed the cancer had returned in 2017 but later found that it was incurable.
He told the Sunday Times last year that the chance of survival for at least five years for those with stage four bowel cancer like his is less than 10 per cent.
He told The Sunday Times last year that he believes his chances would have been better if the screening age in the UK wasn’t 60 years: ‘Had I been screened, I could have been picked up. Had they had screening at 50, like they do in Scotland …
‘I would have been screened at least three times and possibly four by the time I was 58 and this would have been caught at the stage of a little polyp: snip, snip.
‘We know that if you catch bowel cancer early, survival rates are tremendous. I have thought: why have the Scots got it and we don’t?’
He added on Twitter: ‘My cancer was caught late, very late. Earlier screening is the key. Simply no reason why others should have to go through all the treatment that I’ve had.’
Bowel cancer is the UK’s fourth most common cancer and second biggest cancer killer, with over 16,000 people dying from the disease every year.
Bowel cancer can affect both men and women and is treatable and curable and has good survival rates if diagnosed early, but these drop significantly as the disease progresses.
In conversation with George Alagiah: A Bowel Cancer UK podcast is available here, or on iTunes, Spotify, Castbox and Audioboom.
Got a showbiz story?
If you’ve got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE: BBC newsreader George Alagiah resumes treatment for bowel cancer
MORE: BBC newsreader George Alagiah returns to TV a year after cancer diagnosis
[ad_2]
READ SOURCE
