...is most common in men and women aged 50+.
About 1 in 20 people in the UK will develop bowel cancer. It's the third most common cancer in the UK and the second leading cause of cancer deaths, claiming over 16,000 lives each year.
The good news is that when it's found early, 90% of people can be successfully treated.
The symptoms
If you spot one or more of these, see your GP right away:
- Change in bowel habits for a few weeks or more.
- Looser, softer or more frequent pooing.
- Blood in your poo.
- Unexplained weight loss.
- Unexplained lump in the tummy, pain in the tummy or bum, or a straining feeling in the bum.
Diagnosis
The most common way of spotting bowel cancer is by examination. This involves the GP gently placing their finger up your bum, to check for a lump.
It's not painful – and there's nothing to be embarrassed about.
You might also require a:
- Sigmoidoscopy: a thin, flexible tube with a tiny camera examines an area of your bowel.
- Colonoscopy: a slightly larger tube, which examines your whole bowel.
Treatments
Treatment depends on how far along the cancer is. Your GP will explain the options, or you can visit the NHS website for more information. Treatment might include:
- Surgery: the most common treatment. This tries to remove the cancer.
- Chemotherapy: powerful, cancer-killing medication.
- Radiotherapy: pulses of radiation that destroy cancerous cells.
- Biological therapy: uses natural substances found in your body to fight cancer.
Screening
In your early 60s, a free bowel screening kit will arrive in the post.
This spots cancers you can't see and feel – so use it and send it back.
