Bowel Cancer

Number seven on our list of threats to men's health is bowel cancer. It is the third most common cancer in men after lung and prostate cancer. Each year over 20,000 men are diagnosed with the disease and around 8,500 die from it.

If caught early enough, it is one of the most treatable of cancers. If diagnosed in its earliest stages, it is estimated that 90% of people would live for more than 5 years.

Who is at risk?

All men and women. Eight out of ten newly diagnosed cases occur in people over the age of 60.

Risk factors include:

• Having a family history of the disease. A first degree relative almost doubles your risk of disease
• People with diabetes, ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease have an increased risk
• A poor diet. Diets rich in red and processed meat and low in fruit, vegetables and fibre increase your risk.
• Obesity. At least 10% of cases have been attributed to being obese
• Alcohol. Research has shown that drinking more than 4 units of alcohol each day adds to your risk
• Being inactive

Warning signs

The symptoms of bowel cancer may vary depending on the position of the growth in the colon. But common symptoms to look out for include:

• Bleeding from your bottom (don't assume it's piles!)
• Changes in normal bowel habits such as looser stools or diarrhoea which persist for several weeks
• Abdominal pain and/or an abdominal lump in your side
• Anaemia and tiredness
• A feeling that you still need to go to the toilet when you have already been

Prevention

England, Scotland and Wales are all part of a UK bowel screening programme. Everyone between the ages of 60 and 69 in England, 50 and 74 in Scotland, and 60 and 74 in Wales are eligible for screening kits which are sent in the post to your home.

Known as the FOB (faecal occult blood) test, the kit detects blood hidden in your faeces (stools). The test requires a small smear of your faeces to be applied to a card which is then sent back to a laboratory.

The faecal sample on the card is then tested for the presence of tiny amounts of blood, not visible to the human eye.

If blood is detected, it does not mean you have bowel cancer, but it does mean that further tests are needed.

The results are sent to you and your GP. If everyone who was eligible for screening sent their kits back for testing, an estimated 20,000 lives could be saved over the next 20 years.

This article was published on Fri 12 February 2010