Bowel cancer — the facts

Bowel cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in New Zealand.

3000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in New Zealand.

1200 New Zealanders die each year as a result of bowel cancer. New Zealand has the highest rate of bowel cancer and bowel cancer death in the developed world. 75% of bowel cancer is curable if caught early.

Most bowel cancer occurs over the age of 50 and the risk increases with age.

WHAT IS BOWEL CANCER? Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal or colon cancer, is any cancer affecting the colon (large bowel) and rectum (back passage). Most bowel cancers start as benign growths called polyps on the wall of the bowel. Polyps are common as we get older but most polyps are not precancerous. One type of polyp, called an adenoma, can become cancerous. If left undetected, the cancer cells will multiply to form a tumour in the bowel. If untreated, the tumour can grow into the wall of the bowel or back passage, and once cancer cells are in the wall, they can travel into the bloodstream or lymph nodes; from here the cancer cells can travel to other parts of the body. The further advanced a cancer is, the less likely it is that it can be cured. This makes it necessary to find cancer, or (even better) polyps, as early as possible. Check your risk!

POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS INCLUDE: Abdominal pain, especially if severe.

Any lumps or mass in your tummy. Bleeding from the bottom (rectal bleeding) without any obvious reason. Or if you have other symptoms such as straining, soreness, lumps and itchiness. A persistent change in bowel habit, like going to the toilet more often or experiencing looser stools for several weeks.

Weight loss and tiredness (a symptom of anaemia).

If you are more than 50 years old and experience rectal bleeding, and/or a change to looser bowel motions, for more than six weeks, visit your GP as soon as possible.

The Ministry of Health recently announced Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is a much needed initiative. It will reach the Otago/ Southland region in 2018. In the interim, it is important to consider your family history to see if you are at an increased risk of developing bowel cancer. If you have no symptoms or a strong family history, and are anxious about the risk of bowel cancer, consider a selffunded colonoscopy or CTcolonography to screen the colon. This is best done between the ages of 55 and 60 and possibly repeated five to 10 years later.