Human Resources
Bowel Cancer Awareness
Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:58:00 BST
Did you know that bowel cancer is the third most common type of cancer? Approximately 80% of bowel cancer cases develop in people who are 60 or over.
Bowel cancer is a general term for cancer that begins in the large bowel. It is sometimes called colon cancer or rectal cancer, depending on where in the bowel the cancer starts.
Symptoms;
- § blood in your stools (faeces)
- § an unexplained change in bowel habits e.g. prolonged diarrhoea or constipation
- § unexplained weight loss.
Factors that increase your risk of getting bowel cancer include:
- Age: around 80% of people diagnosed with bowel cancer are over 60.
- Diet: a diet high in fibre and low in saturated fat could reduce your bowel cancer risk. A diet high in red or processed meats can increase your risk.
- Healthy weight
- Exercise: being inactive increases the risk of getting bowel cancer.
- Alcohol and smoking: high alcohol intake and smoking may increase your chances of getting bowel cancer.
- Family history and inherited conditions: having a close relative with bowel cancer puts you at much greater risk of developing the disease.
- Related conditions: having certain bowel conditions can put you more at risk of getting bowel cancer.
Bowel cancer screening
The NHS launched a screening programme for bowel cancer in 2006. It is recommended that everyone between the ages of 60 and 69 is screened every two years. If you fall into this category, you will be invited to take part automatically.
Screening is carried out by taking a small stool sample and testing it for the presence of blood.
This screening plays an important part in the fight against bowel cancer because the earlier the cancer is diagnosed, the greater the chance that it can be cured completely.
For more information, see Bowel cancer - screening.
Source; NHS Choices
For further information; http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/type/bowel-cancer/