Hywel Dda University Health Board staff are 'lifting the lid' on bowel cancer by raising awareness of the steps people can take to reduce their risk.

April is Beat Bowel Cancer Month - a national campaign run by the Beating Bowel Cancer charity and supported annually by colorectal healthcare professionals. This year's theme is 'Lifting the Lid', providing an opportunity to start a national conversation and get people comfortable talking about bowel cancer and its symptoms.

For the fourth year, Glangwili Hospital Colorectal Unit is holding a sponsored walk at Dinewfr Park, Llandeilo, tomorrow (Saturday), at 10 am, and people from across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire are invited to join-in.

They will also be accompanied by special guest and musical theatre star Deiniol Wyn Rees, from New Inn, Pencader. Deiniol trained at Trinity College, Carmarthen, and the Royal Academy of Music, and has appeared in films, television and on stage, including the West End.

Colorectal clinical nurse specialist Iris Williams said: "The event has been really successful in the past and has become a family day out for all to enjoy the beautiful grounds of Dinefwr Park. We are delighted to have Deiniol join us and hope former patients and their families, as well as the general public will also come along.

"Bowel cancer is the third most common type of cancer in the UK and it is important that we keep it in people's minds. Early diagnosis is so important and can be assisted through symptom awareness and participating in the bowel screening Wales programme."

Nine out of 10 cases of bowel cancer, which affects mainly those aged 65 and over but can affect anyone at any age, can be treated successfully if diagnosed early. But at least one in four people are completely unaware of the disease, or the symptoms associated with it. The reasons for this are not always clear, but people often shy away from talking openly about bowels and bottoms, even to a doctor.

Bowel screening test kits are mailed out automatically in the post to men and women, resident in Wales and registered with a GP, and aged between 60 and 74 years old. People can use the potentially life-saving testing kits in the privacy of their own homes. Regular bowel screening has been shown to reduce the risk of dying from bowel cancer by 15 per cent.

If you would like to take part in tomorrow's walk, please arrive at Dinefwr Park and park in the home farm car park. The walk will start from the home farm at 10 am.

A Lift the Lid awareness day is being held nationally, including conversations over social media, on Wednesday April 22, follow @bowelcancer #LiftTheLidDay.

For more information about screening in Wales, contact the freephone helpline (Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm) on 0800 294 3370 or visit http://www.bowelscreening.wales.nhs.uk/bowel-cancer">www.bowelscreening.wales.nhs.uk/bowel-cancer

If you need to talk to someone about bowel cancer, please call Beating Bowel Cancer on 08450 719 300, visit http://www.beatingbowelcancer.org">www.beatingbowelcancer.org