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This month, GP Alice Fitzgibbon looks at bowel cancer
We’ve covered this topic before, but it is so important it’s worth covering again. People can be embarrassed to seek help for unusual symptoms relating to their poo or bowel habit but honestly your healthcare professional doesn’t mind – we can talk about it all day long!
Bowel cancer is the 4th most common cancer in the UK with nearly 44,000 cases diagnosed yearly. According to the charity, Bowel Cancer UK, 1 in 17 men and 1 in 20 women will be diagnosed with bowel cancer in their lifetime. Over 94% of cases are in those over 50 years of age but bowel cancer can affect any age group.
If bowel cancer is caught early, it is a very treatable condition and most people with stage 1 bowel cancer can be cured. If it is detected at later stages, it can become more difficult to treat. Although the number of people dying of bowel cancer is in decline thanks to screening programmes and new treatments, there are still over 16,800 deaths per year due to the disease.
The symptoms of bowel cancer can include:
⁃ Bleeding from your back passage
⁃ Blood in your poo
⁃ Change in your toileting habits – looser poos, increased constipation or both alternating
⁃ Unexplained weight loss
⁃ Unexplained tiredness
⁃ Stomach pains
⁃ Feeling a lump in your tummy
People with bowel cancer may have one or more of these symptoms. They might have none. Different symptoms might happen at different times. Any symptom needs to be checked out so please see your GP about it and be clear you are worried about bowel cancer.
When you see your health professional, they will start by asking a lot of questions likely followed by an examination of your abdomen and the back passage too. You might then have blood tests arranged and be asked to do a home test kit called a FIT test. A FIT (faecal immunochemical) test is a sensitive test that can pick up tiny amounts of blood in a poo sample. If the FIT test is positive, it means a referral for more tests – like a camera test or a scan – to look for why there might be blood in the poo. It is not a test for cancer itself as other things like polyps or infection can cause it to be raised, but it does mean a closer look is needed. If a FIT test is negative, it can be reassuring but if you have worrying symptoms then you may still be referred for further tests.
Bowel cancer screening is saving lives. In the UK we are lucky enough to have an established bowel screening programme which invites everyone to have free FIT tests to look for hidden blood in your poo. These start being sent out at slightly different ages depending on where you are in the UK; In Scotland it’s age 50, England age 54, Wales age 51 and Northern Ireland age 60 currently. You are invited to send a new test in every two years until your mid 70s.
Screening tests pick up cancers in people who have no symptoms, meaning they are often early stage. This means treatment can be more effective and the outcomes are good. Please do the test when it is delivered to you; the instructions are clear and it could be something that saves your life.
It is not known what causes most cases of bowel cancer, but some risk factors have been identified. Genetics may play a role as it is more common in those with a family history; age over 50 years; having a history of bowel polyps (non–cancerous growths) and having long term inflammatory bowel disease like Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn’s disease will raise the risk. Those that have type 2 diabetes or an unhealthy lifestyle are also at increased risk. It is estimated that around HALF of all bowel cancers could be prevented by having a healthier lifestyle. Dietary changes, keeping a healthy weight, being physically active, minimising alcohol intake and being a non-smoker all reduce risk.
EVER ignore blood in your poo or coming from your bottom. It might be something simple like haemorrhoids (piles) but it could be a sign of cancer too. Be safe – get it checked!
For more information visit Bowel Cancer UK at www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk
