Bowel Cancer

About Bowel Cancer

We at the Foundation wish to promote awareness of Bowel Cancer and help in the quest to save the lives of people in the UK and beyond. We hope that this article makes you stop and think about your own health or a family members and consider the impact Bowel Cancer could have. Around 42,300 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK each year. It is the 4th most common cancer in the UK. More men than women are diagnosed with bowel cancer and early diagnosis is crucial as with most cancers. The Following information is from the Cancer Research UK website. Click on the heading links below the video for more information.

What Is Bowel Cancer Video From Cancer Research UK

The Facts

Bowel cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the large bowel (colon) or back passage (rectum). It is also known as colorectal cancer. Cancer is when abnormal cells start to divide and grow in an uncontrolled way. The cells can grow into surrounding tissues or organs, and may spread to other areas of the body.

Who gets it

Both men and women can get bowel cancer. It is more common in older people. The risk of developing bowel cancer depends on many factors, including:

age
genetics and family history
medical conditions such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), Lynch syndrome, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease
diet and lifestyle factors
radiation

Your risk of developing bowel (colon and rectal) cancer depends on many things including age, genetics and lifestyle factors. Anything that can increase your risk of cancer is called a risk factor. Those that lower the risk are called protective factors. Having one or more risk factors doesn’t mean that you will definitely get bowel cancer.

Symptoms

Symptoms of bowel cancer can include a change in your normal bowel habit or blood in your poo. They can also be symptoms for other conditions, but it’s important to see your doctor.

Risks and causes

Getting diagnosed

You usually start by seeing your GP. They will ask you about your general health and symptoms and will also examine you. This might include an examination of your back passage (rectum). Your doctor will then decide whether to do tests or refer you to a specialist.

Stages, types and grades

The stage of a bowel cancer tells you how big it is and whether it has spread. There are different ways of staging bowel cancer. There is a number staging system, the TNM system and the Dukes’ staging system. The type tells you which type of cell the cancer started in and where it began. Bowel cancer can start in the large bowel (colon cancer) or the back passage (rectal cancer). It is also called colorectal cancer. The grade means how abnormal the cells look under the microscope.

Treatment

Bowel cancer can start in the large bowel (colon cancer) or back passage (rectal cancer). It is also called colorectal cancer. Your treatment depends on whether you have colon or rectal cancer. Your treatment also depends on the stage of your cancer. When colon and rectal cancer spread to another part of the body it is called advanced bowel cancer.

Survival

Survival depends on many different factors. So no one can tell you exactly how long you will live. It depends on your:

type and stage of cancer
level of fitness
previous treatment

These are general statistics based on large groups of patients. Remember, they can’t tell you what will happen in your individual case. Your doctor can give you more information about your own outlook (prognosis). You can also talk about this with the Cancer Research UK nurses on freephone 0808 800 4040, from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.