HealthInfo Canterbury

Bowel cancer

Bowel cancer is a common cancer, especially if you are over 50 and live in New Zealand. Bowel is another word for intestine.

Bowel cancers can be in your colon (large bowel) or rectum (the final section of your large bowel). It is rare to get cancer in your small bowel (small intestine).

Who is most at risk?

As with most cancers, your risk of bowel cancer increases with age. More than 70% of cases are in people aged over 65. But the habits you adopt earlier in life can affect your risk later on.

Around one in 10 bowel cancers are linked to specific genetic (inherited) conditions. And if other people in your family have had bowel cancer, you have a higher risk of the disease.

Certain bowel conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease also increase your risk of getting bowel cancer.

How can you reduce your risk?

There are several things you can do to reduce your risk of bowel cancer.

Keeping a healthy weight and being physically active will both reduce your risk of bowel cancer. Try to do at least half an hour of moderate physical activity five times a week.

What you eat and drink can also affect your risk of bowel cancer.

• Limit red meat to no more than 500 g (when it's cooked) a week and avoid processed meat.
• Have at least five portions of vegetables and fruit each day.
• Have some grain foods each day. Choose mostly whole grains and those naturally high in fibre, such as wholegrain bread and cereal, and brown rice.
• Cut down on alcohol. There is limited risk if you drink within the guidelines – up to two standard drinks a day for women (no more than 10 a week) or three standard drinks a day (no more than 15 a week) for men. But the more you cut down, the more you reduce the risk

Smoking also increases your risk of bowel cancer. If you smoke, it is never too late to stop. The earlier you quit, the better.

What should you look out for?

It is important to know what is normal for you so that you can spot any changes. If you notice any of these symptoms and they last longer than three weeks, tell your doctor:

• bleeding from the bottom without any obvious reason, or blood in your poo
• a persistent change in bowel habit to looser or more frequent bowel motions, or constipation
• tummy pain, especially if severe.

While these symptoms are more likely to be caused by other things, not cancer, it's always better to play safe. You can read more about the symptoms on the Bowel Cancer New Zealand website.

  HealthInfo recommends the following pages

• Cancer Society
  • Bowel cancer

    This 76-page booklet has comprehensive information on bowel cancer, its symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and the after-effects of treatment.

    It includes some information in Māori.

  • Bowel cancer and bowel function

    This section has information about changes that might happen after surgery for bowel cancer, and advice on how to handle them.

• Cancer Research UK
  • Coping with bowel cancer

    Advice on how to cope if you have been diagnosed with bowel cancer.

  • Treating bowel cancer

    Information about how bowel cancer is treated, including how your doctor decides which treatment you need.

• Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia and New Zealand – Cancer follow-up

  This page answers questions such as: what can I expect after the operation? Will I be cured? Will I develop another cancer?

• New Zealand Familial Gastrointestinal Cancer Registry

  A national service funded by the Ministry of Health, which offers bowel cancer risk assessment to people with a family history of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer. It has offices in Auckland and Christchurch.

On the next page: Bowel cancer screening

Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Adapted by clinical director, Gastroenterology, Canterbury DHB. Last reviewed May 2017.

Sources

Page reference: 48020

Review key: HIBWC-17275