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Bowel cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the large bowel , which includes the colon and rectum . It usually starts as small growths called polyps , which can become cancerous over time if not removed.
It is one of the most common cancers worldwide—but highly treatable when caught early.
Changes in bowel habits (e.g., diarrhoea, constipation).
Blood in stool or rectal bleeding.
Abdominal pain, bloating, or cramping or lump
Feeling like the bowel doesn't empty completely
Fatigue or weakness due to anaemia
Losing your appetite
Note: Early bowel cancer may have no symptoms—screening is essential.
Stool tests: (e.g., FIT or FOBT) to detect hidden blood
Colonoscopy: : A camera inspects the bowel and can remove polyps
Flexible sigmoidoscopy: Examines the lower part of the colon
CT or MRI scans for staging and detecting spread
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.
Stage 0: Abnormal cells in the innermost layer.
Stage I-II: Grown into layers of bowel wall
Stage III: Spread to nearby lymph nodes
Stage IV: Spread to other organs (e.g., liver, lungs)
Staging helps guide treatment choices.
Treatment depends on the stage and location of the cancer:
Surgery
Chemotherapy
Radiation Therapy
MRIdian radiotherapy - advanced radiotherapy that can be used to eradicate secondary tumours
Targeted Therapy
Immunotherapy
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Diagnosis: Harvard’s AI model “Chief” has shown up to 94% accuracy in detecting cancers via tissue image analysis.
Immunotherapy Breakthroughs
Dostarlimab for MSI-H Tumours: A groundbreaking study at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre demonstrated that the immunotherapy drug dostarlimab led to a 100% remission rate in rectal cancer patients with mismatch repair deficiency (MMRd). This approach, which involves blocking checkpoint proteins to enhance the immune system's ability to attack cancer cells, is now being explored for other cancers, including colon and endometrial cancers.
Faecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT): An experimental trial in the U.S. combined PD-1 inhibitor immunotherapy with FMT from a cancer survivor. Remarkably, one patient achieved complete remission after previously unresponsive chemotherapy. This innovative approach suggests that gut microbiota may play a crucial role in cancer treatment efficacy.
Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery
Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles (MSNs): Researchers are developing MSN-based drug delivery systems that can target colorectal cancer cells more precisely. These systems utilize functionalization strategies to improve drug stability and release, aiming to enhance therapeutic outcomes while minimizing side effects.
Advancements in Surgical Techniques
Robot-Assisted Laser Tissue Soldering (RLTS): A novel semi-automated RLTS system has been tested in vivo on porcine models. This technique aims to improve bowel incision closure during surgery, potentially reducing complications and enhancing recovery times. arXiv
Full-Workflow Automation in Radiotherapy
AI-Powered Radiotherapy : An innovative "All-in-One" radiotherapy workflow has been implemented for rectal cancer treatment. This system automates the entire process, from simulation to beam delivery, significantly reducing treatment preparation time and improving patient experience.
If you notice blood in your stool, you should always be checked by a doctor, as it can be a sign of bowel cancer.
But often, it can be caused by something benign, such as:
Never try to self-diagnose. It's always better to get medical advice. Speak to your GP or book an appointment as soon as possible.
As many as 1 in 10 cases of bowel cancer are thought to be genetic. However, these genes are usually not passed down through families.
Although having a family member with bowel cancer increases your risk of bowel cancer, hereditary bowel cancer is rare.
Hereditary bowel cancer includes Lynch syndrome, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis and MUTYH-associated polyposis. These are caused by changes to a specific gene or genes that give a much higher risk of bowel cancer.
Life expectancy for bowel cancer varies significantly, but in England, around 60% of people survive for 5 years or more and 55% survive for 10 years or more, with rates dramatically improving with early diagnosis and localized disease (91% 5-year survival for localized) compared to advanced, metastatic cancer (13-15% 5-year survival). Factors like the cancer's stage, the patient's age, and the chosen treatment greatly influence an individual's prognosis.
You can have bowel cancer for several years without knowing it, as the progression from a pre-cancerous polyp to a malignant tumor can take 5 to 15 years, and early stages often show no symptoms. Bowel cancer is often slow-growing, leading to asymptomatic periods where it can grow, spread, and cause damage before any noticeable signs appear.
Cut back on foods that increase the amount of poo you pass, such as fruit, vegetables, fried foods, fruit juice, caffeine and alcohol. Thicken the output by eating bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, oats, smooth nut butter, bananas and crackers.
There's no certain way to stop cancer from recurring. However, there are steps that are thought to reduce colorectal cancer risk specifically. The first is maintaining a healthy weight. There's increasing evidence that being overweight increases the risk of colorectal cancer recurrence.
You can search your Bowel Cancer Specialist on www.ioncosolutions.com