Welcome to April Cancer Awareness Month
It’s Bowel, Testicular, and Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month.
In the UK, Cancer Research UK (2025) estimated that between the years 2017 to 2019:
There are 44,100 new bowel cancer cases in the UK every year! This is approximately 120 people every day! The bowel otherwise known as the intestine forms part of a tube called the alimentary canal which begins from the end of the stomach to the anus where faeces/poo is excreted. There are two bowels: the small bowel is where digestion and absorption of food take place whereas the large bowel is where water is absorbed.
There are approximately 2400 cases of testicular cancer every year. This is more than 6 people per day! It is the 17th most common cancer in the UK. The testicles are found in the male reproductive system where it produces the male sex cell called the sperm and secretes the hormone testosterone which helps with male growth and development.
There are also 12759 new cases of head and neck cancer every year! Head and Neck cancers arise from various anatomical sites mainly the mouth, throat, salivary glands, and sinuses.
However, on a global level…
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated there are 1.9 new cases of Bowel cancer.
Znaor et al. (2022) declared there were 74500 cases of testicular cancer worldwide in 2020 and it is the 20th most common cancer in young men aged 15 to 44 from the European ethnic group (West, North, and South) and Oceania. This was followed by North America. The lowest incidence is found amongst African and Asia ethnicities. Despite there being an increase in incidence and mortality particularly in high-income areas, there has been a decline since the 1970s after chemotherapy drugs made from platinum compounds were introduced.
Gormley et al. (2022) announced that there are more than 660,000 cases every year worldwide and it is the 7th most common cancer globally.
Our posters are designed by our team of volunteers whose aim is to help the general public understand about this particular cancer through interactive images, informative content and quizzes. It serves as an educational tool with referenced factual information to support your learning.
The posters are FREE for the general public to easily download, share across social media or to be used within teaching lessons.
If you experience any signs or symptoms, please contact your healthcare professional as they have your clinical history and are able to guide you further.
Here are recommended sites for further information:
References
Gormley, M., Creaney, G., Schache, A., Ingarfield, K. and Conway, D.I. (2022). Reviewing the epidemiology of head and neck cancer: definitions, trends, and risk factors. British Dental Journal, [online] 233(9), pp.780–786. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-022-5166-x.
Znaor, A., Skakkebaek, N.E., Rajpert‐De Meyts, E., Kuliš, T., Laversanne, M., Gurney, J., Sarfati, D., McGlynn, K.A. and Bray, F. (2022). Global patterns in testicular cancer incidence and mortality in 2020. International Journal of Cancer, 151(5), pp.692–698. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.33999.
The Farah Saeed Project 