Bowel cancer can occur at any age, but it can be treated if diagnosed in its early stages.
In this article:
What is bowel cancer?
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Effect on your life
Treatment
Advice & Support
What is Bowel Cancer?
Cancer is a disease where abnormal cells in the body begin to grow, divide and reproduce in an uncontrollable way. These abnormal cells then invade and destroy healthy tissue, including organs.
The third most common cancer in the UK, bowel cancer (cancer of the bowel, also sometimes referred to as colorectal cancer) develops where the large intestine becomes cancerous – a lump develops in the lining of the bowel.
Symptoms
Symptoms of bowel cancer include:
Bleeding from your cancerous tumour (apparent in your faeces/stools where it is also accompanied with a mucus)
Greater or less frequency of bowel movements
Diarrhoea-like motions and/or constipation
A feeling of bowel movement incompleteness after going to the toilet (leading you to feel you may have to go again shortly afterwards)
Abdominal pains (stomach cramps – usually as a result of a cancer-caused colon blockage. This blockage can also trigger nausea and vomiting.)
Feeling generally unwell
Spasms of breathlessness
Loss of appetite and weight loss
Causes
Despite in-depth medical research worldwide, the exact cause of bowel cancer has not yet not been established. However it is suggested that you may have in an increased risk of bowel cancer if:
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A genetic predisposition to developing bowel cancer is confirmed
You are suffering from another intestinal-related condition, such as ulcerative colitis
You have an unhealthy lifestyle – the combination of a poor diet with a lack of exercise
Diagnosis
A diagnosis of bowel cancer can be based upon an individual’s symptoms, physical examination results and screening test results.
If you are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms and suspect that you may have bowel cancer, arrange an appointment with your GP. After taking your medical history (and asking you about your family history with regard to health), they will ask you some questions about your symptoms and then carry out a physical examination. If they think that you may have developed bowel cancer then you will be referred to a specialist for tests in order to establish a confirmed diagnosis.
Effect on your life
Being diagnosed with bowel cancer can be extremely traumatic. However, through consultations with trained cancer healthcare professionals you will be encouraged to ask any questions, even if you fear they may seem trivial to someone else. Bowel cancer nurses are trained and attuned to responding to your questions. They will also understand your needs.
Bowel cancer will obviously have an enormous impact on your life. But the good news is that, for many people, there is life after bowel cancer. You may need to use a colostomy bag for a short period after treatment, but this is not necessarily a permanent arrangement. Many people return to living active lives after bowel cancer, those that do generally follow their cancer care team’s post-cancer advice very strictly and take a patient and measured approach to their recovery.
Treatment
Treatments for bowel cancer include:
Surgery – where the affected area of the large intestine is removed (as well as lymph nodes around the bowel area).
Note: Surgery is the most common form of treatment for bowel cancer.
Radiotherapy – high energy radiation beams are focused upon the cancerous area of the bowel, the purpose being to kill the cancerous cells and preventing the disease from spreading (bowel cancer can sometimes spread to other areas of your body, particularly the lungs or the brain).
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Chemotherapy – where chemical agents/drugs are administered in order to kill cancer cells.
Note: To remove a polyps (a small non-malignant growth in the bowel) you may have to undergo further surgery where these are removed during a colonoscopy.
Advice & Support
Bowel Cancer UK
Tel: 0800 8 40 35 40
Website: www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk
Beating Bowel Cancer
Tel: 08450 719 300
Website: www.beatingbowelcancer.org
Macmillan Cancer Support
Tel: Helpline 0808 800 1234 (free phone)
Tel: 020 7739 2280 (standard rate)
Website: www.cancerbackup.org.uk
This information and advice is not intended to replace the advice of your GP or chemist. Chemist Online is also not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based upon the content of the Chemist Online website. Chemist Online is also not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites.
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