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Bowel cancer

Many people may know this cancer as colorectal cancer. It is a common cancer, slow to develop, with over 34,000 people diagnosed in the UK each year.

Most people (over 80%) who develop bowel cancer are aged over 60 years. Early signs of bowel cancer may include changes in bowel habits and passing blood or mucus with the faeces, tiredness and loss of weight, pain or a lump in the abdomen. It is important not be embarrassed about going to the doctor with these symptoms, as early diagnosis and treatment will be best at controlling and curing the disease.

A diagnosis of bowel cancer may be confirmed by one or more of: examination of the rectum; flexible sigmoidoscopy (a flexible tube passed into the rectum and lower part of the large bowel through which the doctor can view the bowel lining or take a biopsy): colonoscopy (a method of looking inside the bowel through a flexible tube passed via the rectum);or a barium enema (an x-ray of the large bowel after a barium mixture has been passed into the rectum).

Treatment for most bowel cancers will involve some form of surgery which, depending on the position and stage of the disease can be successful in eradicating the tumour. Chemotherapy may also be prescribed.

FOB (Faecal Occult Blood) testing forms the basis for a national screening programme to begin in 2006
Colostomy (an opening in the abdomen through which faeces are collected) may be necessary for some people after major surgery