• What is bowel cancer?
• Early signs and symptoms
• Causes and risk factors
• Diagnosis
• Treatment overview
• Bowel cancer treatment at GenesisCare

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer in the UK. Each year, about 42,900 people in the UK are diagnosed with bowel cancer, as reported by Cancer Research UK. Bowel cancer can affect you at any age, though 9 in 10 people are over the age of 50 when diagnosed.

Early diagnosis and rapid access to the best possible treatment means that bowel cancer survival rates are improving, even for some cases of secondary bowel cancer. 2 in 3 people with bowel cancer live for at least five years and getting diagnosed at an early stage increases the likelihood of this. 

The bowel, also called the intestine, is part of your digestive system. It’s split into two main sections, the small bowel and the large bowel. This page is about large bowel cancers. You can learn more about small bowel cancers here.  

Large and small bowel cancer are also types of gastrointestinal cancer, as your bowels form part of the gastrointestinal (GI) system, also known as your digestive system. 

The type of bowel cancer depends on where the cancer started. 

Cancer that starts in the large bowel (the colon) is colon cancer. It can start from tiny bumps called colon polyps that grow inside the lining of your colon. They’re normally harmless but sometimes they can develop into cancerous tumours. If undetected, tumours can spread to other parts of your body.

Cancer that starts in your rectum is called rectal cancer. Rectal cancer also begins as polyps that grow in your rectal lining. These can sometimes develop into cancerous tumours.

Although it starts similarly to colon cancer, the treatment for rectal cancer is different. Treatment can also depend on the stage of your cancer. 

Your bowels are split into two main sections, the small bowel and the large bowel. This page is about large bowel cancers. You can learn more about small bowel cancers here, but the symptoms of small and large bowel cancer are similar.  

Having bowel symptoms doesn’t always mean cancer. Often, the signs and symptoms are caused by other conditions. It’s important to get checked out as soon as possible because finding cancer early can improve outcomes.

Signs of bowel cancer can include: 

Late symptoms of bowel cancer, called advanced cancer can include:

• Losing your appetite
  
• Tiredness

If the cancer has spread to the liver, it can cause a swollen abdomen or yellow, itchy skin. Signs that disease has spread to the lungs include a persistent cough, breathlessness, and coughing up blood.

You can read more about the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer and what happens next here.

Sometimes, bowel cancer can cause a complete or partial blockage of the large bowel. 

This can cause:

• Abdominal (stomach) pain
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Bloating

If you think you have blocked bowels, go to your nearest accident and emergency department (A&E) immediately. 

Any signs and symptoms of bowel cancer should be checked by a doctor as soon as possible.

You can see your GP, who’ll refer you to a specialist if needed. You can also book directly with us and be seen by a leading cancer expert to access any tests you need quickly.

Bowel cancer starts with a mutation that causes bowel cells to grow too quickly, forming tumours. These often start in polyps, which are small growths in the intestines that look like skin tags.

It’s not always known what causes colon and rectal cancer, but there are several risk factors. These increase your chance of developing bowel cancer. 

• Being over 50
• Having a close relative with bowel cancer
• Not eating enough fibre
• Smoking
• Being obese
• Drinking a lot of alcohol
• Regularly eating red or processed meat
• Some bowel conditions, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
• Type 2 diabetes

At GenesisCare, we diagnose and treat a wide range of cancers, and we understand that this can be a worrying time. 

It‘s important to remember that symptoms can often be caused by other conditions and aren’t always bowel cancer. But, whatever your diagnosis, we can make sure you get the expert care you need – without delay.

If you’re concerned about bowel cancer symptoms, it’s important to visit your GP who will assess your symptoms and, if necessary, refer you for diagnostic tests.

Your consultant may then refer you to one of our expert consultants who specialise in cancers affecting the colon and rectum for diagnostic imaging such as CT scans, PET-CT scan, MRI or ultrasound. You may also need to see one of our specialist dietitians.

Bowel screening checks for signs of bowel cancer when there are no symptoms. This can help find cancer earlier. If you’re between 60 to 74 years old, the NHS offers bowel cancer test kits for screening every two years. However, if you have symptoms you should speak to your GP or contact us, no matter your age.

There are several options for treating bowel cancer, and outcomes for many are improving with treatment options and early diagnosis.

Bowel cancer treatment may include:

• Surgery - removal of part or all of the large bowel
• Chemotherapy - anti-cancer drugs which destroy the cancerous cells
• Radiotherapy - high-energy radiation beams which are targeted at the cancer cells
• MRIdian radiotherapy - advanced radiotherapy that can be used to eradicate secondary tumours
• Targeted therapy - a specialised groups of drugs that attack or block certain processes in the cancer cells
• Immunotherapy - drugs that help your body's immune system recognise and fight the cancer

No treatment is without side effects. These will depend on the extent and duration of your treatment. Your doctor will explain these to you before you start your treatment, together with the ways your treatment plan and supportive care can help manage or minimise these.

For some people, bowel cancer treatment has mild and temporary side effects. For some people, life may change due to lasting effects on bowel habits, bladder function, or sexual function.

New techniques are helping minimise the impact of side effects on life after treatment.

From quick investigation of worrying symptoms through to comprehensive treatment of advanced bowel cancer, we offer world-class treatment and care tailored to every patient.

Our approach to world-class care for bowel cancer includes:

• A personalised plan built around you
• Treatment starting within days if needed
• 14 outpatient cancer centres across the UK
• State-of-the-art facilities specialising in advanced radiotherapy
• Compassionate chemotherapy nurses available 24/7 by telephone
• Integrative cancer care including wellbeing therapies and exercise medicine
• Recognised by all leading private medical insurers with self-pay options available
• We'll help you with transport depending on treatment and locations, when required

We’re proud that so many patients rate our care as excellent as we help them through their cancer journey. Find out more about the unique experiences of people who have had their cancer diagnosis or treatment at GenesisCare in our patient stories section.

Surgery is the main treatment for bowel cancers that haven't spread. It’s usually part of an overall treatment and care plan for colon and rectal cancers.

Our consultants include expert surgeons who work in local and nationally renowned hospitals. They work closely with other cancer specialists to decide the best course of treatment for you. 

If your consultant recommends bowel cancer surgery, this can be arranged conveniently at one of our partner hospitals. You can then continue your other treatments at GenesisCare.

Our team also includes specialist dietitians, who may be involved in preparing you for surgery and helping with your recovery and rehabilitation.

Radiotherapy uses targeted, high-energy radiation beams to destroy cancer cells. It can be used for rectal cancer and metastatic colon cancer (that has spread outside the bowel). 

At GenesisCare, we're the leading private provider of radiotherapy in the UK and offer world-class expertise and state-of-the-art facilities that specialise in advanced radiotherapy techniques.

Our latest-generation radiotherapy machines (called linacs) deliver highly targeted radiation beams that are designed to be effective while minimising the radiation dose to healthy tissues.

Your treatment is overseen by our multidisciplinary team (MDT), which includes surgeons, radiotherapists and dietitians who work together to make sure you receive the highest standard of care, tailored to you. 

At GenesisCare, we offer all drug therapies that can be used to treat bowel cancer, including many of the newest treatments. Depending on the treatment, you may attend one of our private suites staffed by our specialist nurses. 

Our compassionate nursing teams are available 24/7 on a dedicated on-call telephone service during your treatment. They provide advice about side effects or symptoms and arrange appropriate medical care when needed.

Our centres have all received the Macmillan Quality Environment Mark to reflect the quality of care we provide for people living with cancer. 

There are different types of drug treatments, also called systemic anti-cancer therapies. Our expert teams continually review and assess new treatments to make these available to GenesisCare patients as early as possible.  

Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer drugs to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy for bowel cancer can be delivered on its own or with radiotherapy (chemoradiation).

You may be offered chemotherapy or chemoradiation before surgery to reduce the size of your tumour before the operation (neoadjuvant treatment). Alternatively, you may have it after surgery to reduce the chance of the cancer returning.

Chemotherapy is also used when the cancer is more widespread to prolong life expectancy and control cancer-related symptoms.

Targeted therapies or biological therapies are a specialised group of drugs that have been designed to attack or block specific processes in cancer cells that tumours depend on to survive and grow. 

Immunotherapies are a type of targeted therapy that helps your immune system to recognise and fight your cancer.  

You may have these therapies as part of your treatment for advanced or metastatic bowel cancer, where it has spread to other parts of your body.

There may also be opportunities to access clinical trials for the newest treatments for bowel cancer.

For some advanced cancers, we use specialist tests such as liquid biopsy or genomic testing to understand cancer cells’ genetic makeup. This can identify drugs that may work against specific gene mutations in your cancer to start treatment confidently without delay. 

• Bowel Cancer UK