Bowel Cancer

Bowel cancer is also known as colon, rectal or colorectal cancer. The lining of the bowel is made of cells that are constantly being renewed. Sometimes these cells grow too quickly, forming a clump known as a bowel polyp or an adenoma. Polyps are usually benign. Although they are not bowel cancers they can change into a malignant cancer over a number of years. A malignant cancer is when cancer cells spread beyond the original site and into other parts of the body.

• What are the symptoms of bowel cancer?
• How many people get bowel cancer? (Incidence)
• How many people die of bowel cancer? (Mortality)
• What is the lifetime risk for bowel cancer?
• What are the risk factors?

What are the symptoms of bowel cancer?

The most common symptoms of bowel cancer are:

• a persistent change in bowel habit, especially needing to go to the toilet more often or having diarrhoea for several weeks

• bleeding from the back passage or blood in the bowel motion

• severe abdominal pain

• a lump in the abdomen

• unexplained tiredness or weight loss

These symptoms do not necessarily indicate bowel cancer, but if one or more persists for four to six weeks then the GP should be consulted.

How many people get bowel cancer? (Incidence)

In the UK about 35,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year. In England and Wales, this number is increasing by one per cent every year for men. It is staying the same for women.

How many people die of bowel cancer? (Mortality)

In the UK, about 16,000 people will die of the disease every year, making it the third most common cause of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths.

What is the lifetime risk for bowel cancer?

The lifetime risk of developing bowel cancer for men is around one in 18. For women, it is around one in 20.

What are the risk factors?

• Age
  Bowel cancer can occur in younger people but 8 out of 10 people who get cancer of the bowel are over the age of 60.

• A previous bowel polyp

• Personal history of chronic bowel inflammation
  Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease will slightly increase the risk of developing bowel cancer.

• Diet
  A diet that is high in red meat and fat and low in vegetables, folate and fibre may increase the risk of bowel cancer.

• Lack of exercise
  Moderate exercise may help prevent bowel cancer.

• Obesity
  Being overweight or obese may increase the risk of bowel cancer.

• Smoking and alcohol
  Although not as strong a risk factor as for other cancers, smoking may also increase the risk of bowel cancer, particularly in heavy drinkers. Alcohol consumption may increase risk, especially in those with low levels of folate in their diet.

• Family history
  Fewer than 1 in 10 cases of bowel cancer are due to an inherited gene defect. However, there are certain families who have an increased risk of developing bowel cancer due to a variety of conditions including familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC).

• Personal history of bowel cancer
  Having had bowel cancer before increases the risk of a new cancer developing.

(Cancer Research UK)