• Bowel cancer refers to cancers occurring in the large bowel (colon) or in the rectum and is also known as colorectal cancer
  • In the UK, over 35,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer and nearly 16,000 people die of the disease each year
  • The good news is that bowel cancer is highly treatable if caught in the early stages, when  eight out of ten bowel cancers can be treated successfully  
  • Symptoms of bowel cancer will vary from person to person and not everyone will have symptoms, so it is important to know what to look out for:
    • Persistent change of bowel habit over four to six weeks with unexplained constipation or diarrhoea
    • Persistent rectal bleeding with no soreness, pain, swelling or itching
    • Unexplained severe pain and/or lump in the abdomen
    • Extreme tiredness without an obvious cause
  • It is important to remember that most symptoms do not turn out to be bowel cancer. If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms you should go and talk to your GP
  • Although the exact cause of bowel cancer is unknown there are certain factors that put people at risk:
    • Age: Bowel cancer tends to affect both men and women equally over the age of 55
    • Family history: Bowel cancer can occur in a number of people who have significant family history of bowel cancer
    • Diet and lifestyle: An inactive lifestyle and a low vegetable, high-fat diet can increase the risk of bowel cancer
    • Inflammatory bowel disease: People with a long history of crohn’s or ulcerative colitis, or who have had previous polyps removed, may be at an increased risk
  • A few simple lifestyle changes can help you reduce the risk of developing the disease:
    • Eat a healthy diet low in fat and high in fibre, including at least five portions of fresh fruit and vegetables a day
    • Drink plenty of fresh fluids, water in particular
    • Get to know your bowel pattern, so you know what’s normal for you
    • Take up regular exercise to keep fit and healthy
    • Be aware of your family history. If there is a history of bowel cancer in your family, get yourself checked out