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BOWEL CANCER Home / Bowel cancer

Awareness

Bowel cancer is a general term for cancer that begins in the large bowel. Depending on where the cancer starts, bowel cancer is sometimes called colon or rectal cancer.

Bowel cancer is one of the 3rd most common types of cancer. 1 amongst 19 individuals will develop bowel cancer in their life time. Most people diagnosed with it are over the age of 50.

Screening (to catch it early)

To detect cases of bowel cancer sooner, two types of bowel cancer screening can be accomplished:

  • All men and women aged 60 to 74 should carry out a faecal occult blood (FOB) test. Every two years, the test is to be repeated, which involves collecting stool sample. If the sample suggests occult blood in the stool, you need to see the specialist.
  • An additional one-off test called bowel scope screening: This is offered to men and women at the age of 55. It involves a doctor using a thin, flexible instrument to look inside the lower part of the bowel. It is to be done once in 10 years in general population.

Taking part in bowel cancer screening reduces your chances of dying from bowel cancer. Removing any polyps found in bowel scope screening can prevent cancer.

  • Symptoms
  • Treatment

Symptoms

The three main symptoms of bowel cancer are:

  • Persistent blood in the stools – that occurs for no obvious reason or is associated with a change in bowel habit
  • Persistent change in your bowel habit – which usually means going more often, with looser stools
  • Persistent lower abdominal (tummy) pain, bloating or discomfort – that's always caused by eating
  • loss of appetite or significant unintentional weight loss

The symptoms of bowel cancer can be subtle and doesn't necessarily make you feel ill. However, it's worth waiting for a short time to see if they get better as the symptoms of bowel cancer are persistent. Normally wait for up to 4-6 weeks, before you consult a specialist.

Bowel cancer symptoms are also very common, and most people with them don't have cancer. For example:

  • Blood in the stools when associated with pain or soreness is more often caused by piles (hemorrhoids)
  • A change in bowel habit or abdominal pain is usually the result of something you've eaten
  • A change in bowel habit to going less often, with harder stools, is not usually caused by any serious condition – it may be worth trying laxatives before seeing your GP

These symptoms should be taken more seriously as you get older and when they persist despite simple treatments.

It's not known exactly what causes bowel cancer, but there are a number of things that can increase your risk. These include:

  • Age – almost 8 in 10 cases of bowel cancer occur in people aged 50 or over
  • Diet – a diet high in red or processed meats and low in fiber can increase your risk
  • Weight – bowel cancer is more common in people who are overweight or obese
  • Exercise – being inactive increases your risk of getting bowel cancer
  • Alcohol and smoking – a high alcohol intake and smoking may increase your chances of getting bowel cancer
  • Family history – having a close relative (mother or father, brother or sister) who developed bowel cancer under the age of 50 puts you at a greater lifetime risk of developing the condition; screening is offered to people in this situation.
  • Some people also have an increased risk of bowel cancer because they have another condition, such as extensive ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease in the colon for more than 10 years.

Although there are some risks you can't change, such as your family history or your age, there are several ways you can lower your chances of developing the condition.

Treatment

Bowel cancer can be treated using a combination of different treatments, depending on where the cancer is in your bowel and how far it has spread.

The main treatments are:

  • Surgery – the cancerous section of bowel is removed; it's the most effective way of curing bowel cancer and in many cases is all you need
  • Chemotherapy – where medication is used to kill cancer cells
  • Radiotherapy – where radiation is used to kill cancer cells
  • Biological treatments – a newer type of medication that increases the effectiveness of chemotherapy and prevents the cancer spreading

As with most types of cancer, the chance of a complete cure depends on how far it has advanced by the time it's diagnosed. If the cancer is confined to the bowel, surgery is usually able to completely remove it.

Keyhole or robotic surgery is being used more often, which allows surgery to be performed with less pain and a quicker recovery.

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