Know the score on bowel cancer

English football has come together to raise cancer-awareness. Players from the men's game, past and present, and women's football have teamed up with leading health charities including the MHF for Bowel Cancer Awareness Month in April.

Built on a successful newspaper campaign, the Know The Score partnership features World Cup winner Martin Peters, Manchester City's James Milner, Faye White of Arsenal Ladies and former Spurs and Newcastle legend Les Ferdinand - all England internationals.

Know The Score, founded by the Mr Brightside Project, brings together the Bobby Moore Fund, the Adam Stansfield Foundation, Beating Bowel Cancer, Bowel Cancer UK and the Men’s Health Forum. Look out for the launch of the new silver Bowel Cancer Star of Hope badge during the month.

Former Spurs and West Ham start Martin Peters MBE said: 'I was happy to get involved in the Know the Score campaign as bowel cancer is such an important issue - 44 people lose their lives every day to the disease so I would encourage everyone to make sure they are aware of the symptoms and speak to their doctor if concerned.'

Symptoms to watch for

Bowel cancer can affect men and women of all ages but is most common in the over-50s. So get to know your body and if you notice any of the following and they last longer than four to six weeks, make an appointment to see your GP:

• Bleeding from the bottom without any obvious reason
• A persistent change in bowel habit to looser or more frequent bowel movements
• A lump in your tummy or tummy pain, especially if it’s severe

Chances are it won’t be cancer, but it’s better to play safe.

As well as spotting it early, you can reduce your risk of developing bowel cancer by:

• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Being physically active
• Cutting down on alcohol
• Being a non-smoker
• Eating a healthy, balanced diet that’s high in fibre and low in red and processed meat.

Taking these steps doesn’t mean you won’t develop cancer, but it helps to stack the odds in your favour.

• Visit the Know The Score website
• Download the Know The Score flyer
• More on bowels on malehealth