"When I Look Back At It, I Had All The Symptoms": Kildare Resident On His Diagnosis, As April Marks Bowel Cancer Awareness Month

The first day of the awareness month coincides with the HSE free bowel screening programme being expanded

Ciaran Cunningham

"Men, through embarrassment, or through busyness, or just plain stupidity in my eyes...when I look back on it, I had all the symptoms of bowel cancer."

With April marking Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, a Kildare resident is urging the public not to ignore or minimise symptoms.

Ciaran Cunningham, a father of two and executive chef, was 50 years old when he was diagnosed with Stage 3 bowel cancer in 2024.

Speaking on this morning's Kildare Today show, Mr. Cunningham described how he previously ignored his symptoms, due to a prior history of stomach ulcers and embarrassment in raising his symptoms with his GP.

"Isn't that a typical man thing", he said.

"Men, through embarrassment, or through busyness, or just plain stupidity in my eyes, I think when I look back on it, I had all the symptoms of bowel cancer."

Some of the signs of bowel cancer can include changes to bowel movements, blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss, and feeling tired or breathless.

For Mr. Cunningham, an abdominoperineal resection (APR) surgery was had, which removed the rectum, anus, the sigmoid colon, and creating a hole in his stomach to pull his large intestine through to allow waste disposal.

"The crazy thing [is], I wouldn't go the doctor for the embarrassment or the fear, but ever since my cancer diagnosis, I must've shown fifty doctors my rear end after the operation", he laughed.

He highlighted that doctors and professionals see many patients a day, and that no one should feel ashamed or afraid of checking in with their GP.

"I can only move forward. I want to raise as much awareness as I can to try help people avoid going through what I have.

"My message to the public this Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and every month is simple; please don’t ignore your symptoms. If something doesn’t feel right and it’s been like that for a while, just go and speak to your doctor”, he concluded.

The Irish Cancer Society is calling on the public be aware of the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer and to go to their GP.

It's particularly calling on younger people under 50 to do so, and be mindful if there is family history of bowel cancer.

Coinciding with the first day of Bowel Cancer Awareness month, the HSE free bowel screening programme is being expanded.

From today, everyone between the ages of 57 and 71 will be eligible for the at-home testing kit.

It opens the programme to an additional 116,000 people.

The HSE says anyone turning 57 can expect to receive an invitation before their 59th birthday.

Bowel cancer is Ireland’s second most common cause of cancer-related death, second only to lung cancer, with about 2,500 diagnoses each year and around 1,000 deaths each year.

The full interview with Ciaran Cunningham can be listened to here: