ONE woman's story about her successful battle with bowel cancer is helping to raise awareness of World Cancer Day next week. Siobhan Ryan reports.

KIRSTI Spaven knows she is lucky to be alive.

The 62-year-old freelance translator from Hove was successfully treated for bowel cancer after being diagnosed in 2014.

She now spends a lot of her time educating others about the signs and symptoms of the condition and the importance of getting treatment fast.

Her main aim is to break down the barriers of embarrassment about the problems connected with the disease as she knows encouraging people to talk about them could end up saving lives.

Kirsti is joining forces with Cancer Research UK to raise awareness as part of World Cancer Day on Saturday, February 4.

Kirsti, now has no fear about talking ‘poo’ and advising people to go to the GP at the first sign of anything unusual.

She said: “Bowel cancer concerns a part of the body people are generally uncomfortable talking about.

“However I’m from Norway where we are perhaps a little more open about these things.

“I sometimes start talking to people by saying: ‘How often do you look at your poo?’ And the response is ‘Oh, my God, what did she say?!’ But it breaks the ice and soon we are talking.

“If you go through cancer, you develop an incredible black humour – there’s actually a lot of laughter.”

Kirsti first became aware of a problem when she was on holiday in Costa Rica in February 2014.

She said: “We were staying in an eco lodge and you couldn’t throw loo paper into the toilet, you had to put it in a separate bin. In doing that, I spotted blood.”

“That is a big warning sign, but because I was on holiday, it was hot and I was eating all sorts of unusual foods, I didn’t worry too much.”

Kirsti returned home and the bleeding stopped but then it re-started and this alarmed her.

She said: “I began to Google the symptoms and as soon as I saw the word cancer, I shut the page down.

“I just thought ‘I cannot go there’. I didn’t want to know. It was pure fear.”

Kirsti didn’t finally give in and go to the GP until late May, by which time her bowel habits had changed – she was going to the loo four or five times a day.

The GP referred her immediately and within three days she had an appointment at the hospital.

The diagnosis came in early August – she had a large tumour in her bowel, leaving Kirsti “absolutely terrified”...

There is no family history of cancer in Kirsti’s family and she had no other symptoms apart from the bleeding.

She said: “Up until then I was quite pleased with myself.

“I had a good diet, wasn’t overweight, I didn’t drink much, I didn’t smoke – I wasn’t even anaemic which is another of the signs.

“I thought bowel cancer was something that old men who never eat any vegetables get.”

Fortunately for Kirsti the cancer was caught early enough to be contained within the walls of the bowel.

In September she had an operation to remove the tumour and had to have a stoma.

This is an opening on the surface of the abdomen which is surgically created to divert the flow of the body’s waste into an attached bag.

Because cancer cells were found in one lymph node, Kirsti also had chemotherapy for three and a half months.

Nine months after the initial operation, the stoma was reversed and the bag removed.

Kirsti, who is married to Patrick and has two grown-up children, Thomas, 33, and Rebecca, 26, is now fit and well and has regular check-ups.

During her treatment she made new friends and began to get involved in raising awareness about cancer, particularly through Brighton and Hove Albion’s Albion in the Community project ‘Speak up against cancer.’

Kirsti is also backing calls for the age for screening for bowel cancer to be lowered.

She said “If I can get one person to go to the doctor to get investigated, I will have done something good.

“If screening was available from the age of 55, it would probably have picked up polyps. As it was, I got my first screening appointment two days after I left hospital.”

Kirsti, from Hove, is calling on men, women and children to play their part by wearing a Cancer Research UK unity band in support of World Cancer Day.

The bands are made up of two parts, knotted together, to symbolise strength in unity.

Every band worn, every donation made and everyone who shows their support will help save more lives by funding research which will accelerate the charity’s progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Cancer Research UK Sussex spokeswoman Lynn Daly said: World Cancer Day provides an opportunity for people to show that together we can be a powerful force to beat cancer sooner.

“So many of us know someone affected by cancer, and wearing a Unity Band or donating is a simple and easy way to show your support.

“Whatever the motivation – to remember a loved one, celebrate people who have overcome the disease, or to rally in support of those going through treatment - World Cancer Day is a chance to get involved and help more people survive this disease.

“Survival has doubled since the early 1970s and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress – but every step our doctors, nurses and scientists take relies on donations from the public and the tireless fundraising of our supporters.”

The unity bands come in three different colours and are available in all Cancer Research UK shops for a suggested donation of £2, as well as online at www.cruk.org.uk/worldcancerday.

Every year about 49,100 people are diagnosed with cancer in the south east.

Cancer Research UK is working with nine other charities for World Cancer Day 2017 to encourage people to help raise vital funds.

They hope by joining together, they will be able to raise awareness and make an impact in transforming the lives of millions who are affected by cancer.

For more information, visit cruk.org/worldcancerday.