April is Bowel Cancer Awareness month - know the signs and symptoms
What is bowel cancer and how does it develop?
Cancer that affects the large bowel (made up of the colon and rectum) is known as bowel cancer. Some other names that it may be called are colorectal cancer, colon cancer or rectum cancer depending on where it’s found.
Most bowel cancers develop from non-cancerous growths known as polyps on the inner lining of the bowel. Overtime some polyps may develop into cancer. Not all polyps become cancerous but detecting and removing them early can prevent bowel cancer from developing.
Why is awareness for Bowel Cancer so important?
Bowel cancer is the 4th most common cancer in the UK. Almost 44,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK however with early detection and greater public awareness this could help transform outcomes for thousands of people.
Greater awareness means better outcomes for many people. Research has shown that around 90% of bowel cancer are treatable if caught at the earliest stage. This is especially crucial as currently only 15% of cases are currently diagnosed this early often because symptoms are missed or ignored.
So how do you know if you have bowel cancer? What are the symptoms?
The most important thing in detecting this is knowing the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer. Bowel cancer can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or where you live.
What are the symptoms of bowel cancer?
- Bleeding from your bottom
- Blood in your poo
- A change in your pooing habits (you may be going more or less often with diarrhoea or constipation that might come and go)
- Losing weight but you are unsure why
- Feeling very tired all the time but unsure why
- Pain or lump in your tummy.
Having these symptoms doesn’t always mean you have bowel cancer but it’s still important to find out what’s causing them
What should you do If you have these symptoms?
If you have any of these symptoms or if you are worried, visit your GP and ask about an at-home test. A key thing to know is that not everyone will have the same symptoms, and they may get different symptoms at different times.
Who is at risk and what are some risk factors?
- Aged over 50
- A strong family history of bowel cancer
- A history of non-cancerous growths (polyps) in your bowel
- Longstanding inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis
- Type 2 diabetes
- An unhealthy lifestyle.
What is bowel cancer screening?
Bowel screening is key in helping to spot bowel cancer before any symptoms start and this is when it would be more treatable. A screening kit can be sent to you within the post if you are within the age range for screening and registered with a GP.
In England, if you’re aged 50-74 you’ll be invited to take part in bowel cancer screening every two years. If you’re aged 75 or over, you can ask for a screening test by calling a free bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 60 60
However, if you think you have symptoms, you don’t need to wait for a screening test - make sure to ask your GP about an at home test.
How does the screening work?
The bowel cancer screening programme uses a test called a faecal immunochemical test (FIT). For the test you’ll collect a small about of poo which will be sent to a lab where they’ll test for blood in your poo.
Screening can also help to find polyps (non-cancerous growths) which may be growing in the bowel (these can become bowel cancer over time).
How can you help raise awareness to change outcomes for many individuals?
- Share information on social media using #BowelCancerAwarenessMonth
- Talk openly about bowel health to reduce stigma.