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Bowel Cancer
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth
and spread of abnormal cells. Bowel cancer is caused by the
abnormal growth of cells in some part of the bowel to form
a lump or tumour. Bowel cancer is most common in the large
bowel which is made up of the colon and rectum.
Normally, the body's cells reproduce themselves in an orderly
manner so that growth occurs and damaged or worn-out tissues
are replaced. Sometimes, however, cells continue growing into
a mass of tissue called a tumour which can be benign
(noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). In some
cases, the malignant cells can spread to other parts of the
body through the blood or lymph system. New cancers formed
in this way are called secondaries or metastases.
Bowel cancer is more common in older people, and is the second
most common cancer in NSW with about 3,500 new cases being
diagnosed in NSW each year, and around 8,700 Australia wide.
About 1 in 22 Australians will develop bowel cancer by the
age of 75, and about 4,000 Australians will die from bowel
cancer each year.
What are the signs or symptoms?
You should see your general practitioner if you notice any
of the following symptoms:
- Blood in the bowel motion or in the toilet bowl. If you
are over 40 it is a good idea to check the toilet bowl and
the toilet paper after each bowel motion.
- Changes in your toilet habits lasting more than two weeks.
How can I prevent bowel cancer?
There are a number of factors which increase your chances
of getting bowel cancer. These are:
- being over 40 years of age
- having bowel polyps or previous bowel cancer
- having had ulcerative cloitis or Crohn's disease for more
than eight years
- having one or more close relatives who have had bowel
cancer, especially if they were under 50 years of age
- having a member of a family with familial adenomatous
polyposis or another family cancer syndrome.
You should ask your general practitioner whether you should
have regular tests to check for early bowel cancer if you
are in any of the above groups.
There are a number of tests that can be carried out to see
whether you have bowel cancer. These include:
- digital rectal examination,where the doctor inserts
a gloved finger into the anus (back passage) to check the
rectum
- occult blood test, which tests if there are small amounts
of blood in the bowel motion
- sigmoidoscopy, where a tube-like instrument called
a sigmoidoscope is used by a doctor to look inside the rectum
and lower colon
- colonoscopy, where a longer flexible tube-like instrument called
a colonoscope is used by a doctor to look inside the rectum
and whole colon
- barium enema, where the bowel is filled with a mixture containing
barium, and an X-ray is then taken
which gives an enhanced picture of the bowel.
How can bowel cancer be treated?
If a test indicates that cancer is present, a number of treatments
are available. These include:
- surgery to remove all the cancer in the
hope of a cure. A permanent colostomy bag is rarely used
today.
- chemotherapy, which is a course of drugs given to kill
or control the cancer cells
- radiotherapy, which is a course of high energy X-rays
given to kill or control the cancer cells. (Chemotherapy
and radiotherapy do not cure cancer but may result in long-term control in some types of bowel cancer.)
The type of treatment recommended depends on the size of
the cancer, whether it has spread, your general health and
also what you want.
Where can I get more information?
Talk to your general practitioner or contact:
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