The rate of bowel cancer is increasing, especially in
younger people.
How common is bowel cancer?
It is the second-most common cause of cancer death worldwide.
In 2020, there were approximately 1.9 million new cases identified.
What to do if you have symptoms
Very early bowel cancer usually does not have any symptoms.
If you experience any of the following symptoms, it is very
important to make an appointment with your doctor to discuss these.
Symptoms of bowel cancer include:
- Blood in your poo – ranging from bright red blood to very
dark
- A change in the consistency of your poo or how frequently
you go to the toilet
- A change in the shape or appearance of your poo. E.g. you
can see some mucous
- A feeling that you have not completely emptied your bowel
after doing a poo
- Feeling fullness inside your bottom
- Lower abdominal pain, bloating or cramping
- Feeling tired, weak or have unintentionally lost weight
Remember these symptoms do not mean you have bowel cancer.
There are many other medical causes for these symptoms but it is important to
have them investigated by your doctor.
Reducing your risk of bowel cancer
Anything that increases your chance of developing bowel
cancer is known as a risk factor. Some risk factors we cannot do anything
about. These include:
- A family history of bowel cancer – approximately 30% of cases are linked to a family history.
- Age – the older you are, the greater the risk. Bowel cancer was seen largely in people aged over 50 but there has been an increase in the number of cases diagnosed in people under the age of 50.
- Other cancers – if you have previously had colon, breast, ovary or cancer of the endometrium, this increases your risk
- Polyps in the large bowel – these would have been seen during a colonoscopy.
- The other group of risk factors are those which you can reduce. To reduce your risk of developing bowel cancer, it is important to think about changes you can make at any age – the earlier you make these changes the lower your long-term risk. The risks you can focus on are:
- Smoking – smoking increases your risk of bowel cancer.
- Alcohol – the risk significantly increases with more than 2 drinks a day. The safest level of drinking is not to drink at all.
- Exercise – being active for at least 30 minutes a day reduces your risk. You need to exercise at an intensity so you are puffing and it would be difficult to hold a conversation.
- Weight – as your weight creeps up so does your risk. You can use BMI as a guide or you can measure your waist circumference. Men aim for a waist less than 94cm. Women aim for a waist less than 80cm.
- Red meat - limit your intake of red meat to only 1 serve of red meat each day. A serve is 100g of raw meat, or 65g of cooked meat. That is a maximum of 700g (raw) a week. A large steak is 250g which is more than double the recommended maximum daily intake! If you enjoy a large serve of meat then try to limit your red meat to three times a week rather than a small serve every day.
- Processed meat – try not to eat any processed meat as they are strongly linked to bowel cancer. Any meat that has been preserved by smoking, salting or adding chemical preservatives is classified as processed meat including bacon, ham, hotdogs, salami, prosciutto, pepperoni, pastrami, chorizo and corned beef.
- Vegetables and fibre in the diet – a diet rich in vegetables and fibre will reduce your risk
Talk to your doctor
Ask your doctor if a screening test is recommended.
If you think it is too embarrassing to ask your doctor for a
screening test, think again! Read or watch stories from people whose lives have
been saved by doing a screening test.