Bowel cancer: The basics

Bowel cancer is the third most common and second deadliest cancer in Australia. Tragically, of the more than 15,000 people diagnosed with the disease each year, one third do not survive.¹

Unfortunately, bowel cancer can go undetected until it’s too late, often developing with no obvious symptoms. And, while its most common among people over 50, it can affect anyone.²

Here, we look at the basics of bowel cancer, including possible signs and symptoms and important ways to prevent the disease from affecting you.

Also known as colorectal cancer, bowel cancer usually affects your colon and rectum, the lower sections of your digestive system known as the large bowel. Although rare, bowel cancer can also develop inside your small intestine.²

The cancer typically starts inside the inner lining of your bowel, with small growths called ‘polyps’. While usually harmless, polyps can become cancerous. If left untreated, bowel cancer can spread to your lymph nodes and later to your liver or lungs.

Unfortunately, bowel cancer can develop in its early stage without any symptoms. This is why early detection is key.

However, certain things may indicate that something is wrong. While these symptoms can point to a problem that isn’t bowel cancer, it’s important to look out for:

• blood in your stool
• bloating
• abdominal pain
• a pain or lump in your rectum or anus
• unusual weight loss
• fatigue and weakness
• blockage in your bowel
• a feeling that your bowel hasn’t fully emptied after using the toilet.³

Unusual bowel habits, such as unexplained, prolonged diarrhoea or constipation, can also indicate a problem with your digestive system. You can learn how to better understand your poo with the Bristol Stool Chart.

Although bowel cancer can affect anyone, the average diagnosis age is 69.⁴

Despite a common misconception that bowel cancer is a male illness, the disease affects men only marginally more than women.¹

Certain things can increase your risk of developing bowel cancer over your life. These include:

• low-fibre diets
• a diet high in red and processed meats
• being overweight or obese
• high alcohol consumption
• smoking
• living with inflammatory bowel disease
• existing polyps
• a previous bowel cancer diagnosis
• a family history of bowel cancer.⁴

As bowel cancer can develop without symptoms, it’s important to know your risk factor and get tested when you need to. Luckily though, 90% of cases can be successfully treated if detected early.⁵

While older age is a factor, bowel cancer can affect younger people as well. And numbers are on the rise, with more than 1,700 Australians under the age of 50 being diagnosed with the disease each year.6

Eligible Australians aged between 45 and 74 can take a free, at-home bowel cancer test every 2 years via the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.⁷

The easy-to-use test kits are sent to you in the mail and the results are forwarded to your doctor. You can also purchase test kits online or at pharmacies.

While you can’t change things like age and genetics, there are other things you can do throughout your life to lower your risk of bowel cancer.

In fact, alongside screening, more than 60% of bowel cancer cases may be prevented by:

• maintaining a healthy body weight
• not smoking
• exercising regularly
• consuming a low-to-moderate amount of alcohol
• eating low amounts of red and processed meats
• having a diet high in fibre, whole grains and calcium.⁸

This may include as little as 30 minutes of physical activity a day, at a pace that gets your heart rate up but doesn’t leave you breathless.

You can also aim for a diet that’s high in things like brown rice, wholegrain bread, beans, nuts and lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Remember, prevention is better than a cure. With the right lifestyle decisions and regular screening, you can significantly reduce your risk of bowel cancer while staying on top of your general health and wellbeing.

The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program offers more information and resources.

Cancer Council offers resources online and over the phone on 13 11 20.