Bowel Cancer
Bowel (colon) cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK. It is the second biggest cancer killer after lung cancer – around one in eighteen of us will get bowel cancer at some point in our lives.
What causes bowel cancer?
Natural dietary fibre helps maintain a healthy gut.
Bowel cancer is sometimes linked to a diet that is high in red meat (in particular processed, smoked meats such as ham, bacon, salami, sausages etc) and low in naturally occurring roughage. So to maintain a healthy gut and increase your chances of avoiding bowel cancer you should restrict your intake of red meat and eat plenty of whole cereals (brown bread, brown rice etc), fresh fruit and vegetables.
Sometimes bowel cancer is caused by the genes you inherit. If someone in your immediate family has had bowel cancer and particularly if it occurred at a young age, then you should be screened regularly. Find out more about taking part in the GUTS screening programme.
Bowel cancer is most likely to occur when people are in their sixties and seventies. Some time after your 60th birthday you will be invited to take part in the national screening programme – don’t ignore it! It’s estimated that if just 60% of those invited took part, over a 10-year period the bowel cancer death rate would be cut by around 20%. As well as detecting actual cancers, screening reveals polyps that can potentially develop into cancer. Polyps can usually be removed with a non-surgical procedure.
Who’s at risk?
It’s not known exactly what causes bowel cancer, but there are a number of things that can increase your risk, including:
AGE – almost 90% of bowel cancers occur in people aged 60 or over.
DIET – a diet high in red and processed meat and low in fibre can increase risk.
WEIGHT – bowel cancer is more common in those who are overweight or obese.
INACTIVITY increases your lifetime risk.
ALCOHOL AND SMOKING – both may increase the risk of bowel cancer.
FAMILY HISTORY – having an immediate relative (parent or sibling) who developed bowel cancer under the age of 50 puts you at a greater lifetime risk.
Over a long period of time, conditions such as severe ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, can put you at an increased risk of developing bowel cancer.
Want to know more? Download our ‘GUT INSTINCT’ booklet or or call the GUTS office on 01483 408316 to ask for a copy.
Follow the links for more information: causes of bowel cancer preventing bowel cancer.
Bowel cancer symptoms
Reducing your risk or watch on YouTube
Stoma information
Bowel Cancer Treatment
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