Cancer of the bowel (the colon or rectum) makes up about 1 in every 10 cancers and about 30,000 people in England and Wales develop the condition each year.
The risk of getting bowel cancer increases with age. Less than one out of every 100 people with cancer of the colon or rectum gets it before the age of 40. More than 85 out of every 100 people with bowel cancer are over 60 when the condition is first diagnosed.
The two main symptoms of cancer of the bowel are bleeding from the back passage, that does not stop after a few days or weeks and a change in bowel habit. For example, more frequent bowel motions and looser stools or with alternating constipation and diarrhoea, lasting at least six weeks. Other symptoms can include: a type of anaemia called iron deficiency anaemia, which can lead to constant tiredness, and blockage of the bowel, which causes sickness, griping tummy pain and constipation. If there is soreness or itching in the back passage along with bleeding then usually this is a sign that the cause is not due to cancer. Also constipation alone is not often a sign of bowel cancer.
The Department of Health has given guidelines to family doctors (GPs) suggesting that they should arrange an urgent appointment with a specialist in diseases of the digestive system (a gastroenterologist) to check for anyone who comes with one or more of the following problems:
- you are over 60 and have bleeding from the back passage going on for more than six weeks
- you are over 60 and have more frequent or looser bowel movements going on for more than six weeks
- if your GP can find a lump in the right side of your abdomen
- if your GP can feel a lump when examining your rectum
- if you have iron deficiency anaemia without any obvious cause
All these symptoms can have other causes apart from cancer. But it's important that if you develop any of these problems you should see your GP who can discuss them with you and, if they think it is necessary, arrange an appointment with a specialist.