HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury
Overview of bowel cancer
Tirohanga whānui ki te mate pukupuku terotero
This page has links to information in other languages.
Bowel cancer is a common cancer. It can occur in the large bowel (also called the colon or large intestine) or rectum (the last section of the large bowel). Most bowel cancers develop from a tiny growth (polyp) that slowly gets bigger over many years.
The National Bowel Screening Programme (NBSP) is a free programme to help detect bowel cancer. It is offered every two years to men and women aged 60 to 74. It can find cancer at an early stage so it can be successfully treated.
Risk factors for bowel cancer
Some people are more likely to get bowel cancer than others. You cannot change some of the risk factors that increase your likelihood of getting bowel cancer. But you can change some lifestyle factors.
Risk factors you cannot change include:
- getting older (90% of people who develop bowel cancer in New Zealand are over 50)
- having a close relative (mother, father, brother or sister) who developed bowel cancer under the age of 55
- having certain bowel conditions such as ulcerative colitis for more than 10 years
- having a rare inherited condition.
Risk factors you can change include:
- smoking
- drinking alcohol
- being overweight
- eating low-fibre and high-fat foods
- eating lots of processed meat (for example, ham and bacon) and red meat.
See Reducing your risk of bowel cancer for information on how to reduce your risk.
Symptoms of bowel cancer
The main symptoms of bowel cancer are:
- bleeding from your bottom or blood in your poo
- a change in the way you poo (your bowel habits) over several weeks with looser or more frequent poo or constipation
- tummy pain, cramping or bloating
- unexplained weight loss
- unexplained tiredness or fatigue.
Sometimes there are no symptoms at all in the early stages, which is why it is so important to take part in the free National Bowel Screening programme.
Diagnosing bowel cancer
Your general practice team will ask you about your symptoms and whether you have a family history of bowel cancer. They may examine you and ask you to have a blood test and a test for blood in your poo.
If there is any concern, you will be offered a colonoscopy. This involves a tube with a camera being passed through your bottom to look at the inside of your bowel.
Treating bowel cancer
The treatment for bowel cancer depends on its type and stage (how far it has spread) and the severity of the symptoms. It also depends on your general health and what treatment you wish to have.
Surgery is the main treatment. In some cases, your health providers may recommend chemotherapy (medicines to destroy cancer cells) or radiotherapy (radiation to destroy cancer cells).
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Bowel Cancer New Zealand
Detailed information about bowel cancer and support.
It includes information in te reo Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Samoan, Simplified Chinese and Tongan.
- Cancer Society – Bowel cancer
This page has comprehensive information on bowel cancer, its symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.
It includes some information in Māori.
- New Zealand Familial Gastrointestinal Cancer Service
A national service funded by the Ministry of Health. It offers bowel cancer risk assessment to people with a family history of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer.
On the next page: Reducing your risk of bowel cancer
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed May 2024.
Sources
Review key: HIBWC-17275
