Since 2005 I have been screened every 5 years for Bowel Cancer, as the chances of me getting it are fairly high. The reason being that on my maternal side nearly everyone had it.
At my last appointment in 2010 I was told that I should now be tested every 2 years but for some reason I wasn’t called up for an appointment last year so gave them a call to double check I hadn’t been forgotten and was told that because of the new guidelines I wouldn’t be seen for another 3 years – I wasn’t having that so yesterday morning I had an appointment with my Oncologist to discuss how often I should be tested, thankfully he has agreed that I should be screened every two years – result!
BOWEL CANCER STATISTICS
- Over 40,000(1) men and women are diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK every year, making it the third most common cancer in men and 2nd most common in women.
- Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK and around 16,000(2) people die each year.
- 95% of all diagnoses are in people over the age of 50
- Bowel Cancer is very treatable especially if diagnosed at an early stage, with a survival rate of more than 90% over five years.
SO WHAT EXACTLY IS BOWEL CANCER?
Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer or colon cancer, is any cancer that affects the colon (large bowel) and rectum (back passage). It usually grows very slowly over a period of up to 10 years, before it starts to spread and affect other parts of the body.
Most bowel cancers start as benign innocent growths – called polyps – on the wall of the bowel. Polyps are like small spots or cherries on stalks and most do not produce symptoms. Polyps are common as we get older and most polyps are not pre-cancerous. One type of polyp called an adenoma can, however, become cancerous (malignant). If left undetected the cancer cells will multiply to form a tumour in the bowel, causing pain, bleeding and other symptoms. If untreated, the tumour can grow into the wall of the bowel or back passage. 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. For bowel cancer, the most common places for bowel cancer cells to spread to are the liver and the lungs. The process of spread is called metastasis.
There are several risk factors that can increase your chances of getting Bowel cancer. Family history and Genetics is one. For me this is very high as my mother’s father and 5 of his siblings had it.
The risks get higher as you get older. More than 7 out of 10 people diagnosed with this form of cancer are over 65. Being over weight, consuming high amounts of saturated fats, red or processed meat and drinking over 4 units of alcohol per day.
SYMPTOMS TO LOOK OUT FOR
- A persistent change in bowel habit, especially going more often or looser stools
- Bleeding from the bottom without any obvious reason
- Abdominal pain, especially if severe
- A lump in your tummy
- Unexplained weight loss or tiredness
Most of these symptoms will not be cancer. Anyone experiencing one or more of these symptoms for four weeks or more should go and see their GP.
There are several ways of testing for Bowel Cancer. The one I have had is a colonoscopy. It’s not a very pleasant experience but I would rather know and get it treated than leave it undiagnosed.
A few days before you go into hospital for your colonoscopy you will be sent some powders that you mix with water or something like orange juice to get ride of the disgusting taste. I have to stand over a sink as I drink it (a litre at a time) as it makes me retch its so revolting. You have to take this over the course of a day and trust me you have stay near a loo as it is designed to clear you out.
You go into hospital as a day patient but must get someone else to drive, as you will be too groggy afterwards. You are sedated not put under with a general. I gave strict instructions that I didn’t want to wake up while the camera goes up and inside my colon – however I woke about 2 minutes before the end to be confronted with a giant screen with my insides on; fascinating!
Once the colonoscopy has finished you are taken back to the ward to recover and rather embarrassingly you fart like a trooper, there is nothing you can do about it as your insides have been pumped full of air in order for the doctors to see everything. On the positive side they don’t smell!!
Luckily for me I have been clear after each test and fingers crossed I will be again in a couple of months when I go through it all again.
If you have any of the symptoms above or are worried about anything please please do not hesitate to go to your GP, usually it’s nothing but don’t hide your head in the sand and hope it goes away.
http://www.beatingbowelcancer.org/
