Bowel cancer: What are the early warning signs?

Charges in your bowel habit or symptoms such as abdominal pain can be signs of bowel cancer. If you are concerned about any symptoms, it’s important to see a doctor promptly as early diagnosis is the key to increased survival rates. In this informative article, highly respected consultant general and colorectal surgeon Mr Paul Skinner gives an expert guide to bowel cancer, including symptoms, diagnosis and the next steps.

What are the main early warning signs of bowel cancer?

When we speak about bowel cancer, we mainly mean cancer of the colon or rectum, which is the lower bowel. The main symptoms are a change in your bowel habit and going to the toilet more or less frequently than usual. Sometimes, bleeding when we go to the toilet, abdominal pain and bloating of the abdomen (distention) can also be signs of bowel cancer.

Who is most at risk of bowel cancer?

It’s important to realise that the vast variety of bowel cancer is sporadic. Only about five per cent of patients have a family history but if a member of your family has had lower bowel cancer under the age of fifty, especially if more than one of your closest relatives (mother, father, brother or sister) have it, you are more at risk. Otherwise, it’s a population risk.

How is bowel cancer diagnosed?

The vast majority of diagnosis of bowel cancer is via an endoscopic examination called a colonoscopy or a body scan called a CT scan. There are some other tests done beforehand like stool (faecal) examinations and some blood tests which can also be helpful in the diagnosis.

A few patients are diagnosed because they’ve taken up an invite to a bowel cancer screening programme. Although they have no symptoms, blood is found in their stool and so they undergo a colonoscopy and hopefully an early bowel cancer will be detected.

What happens after initial diagnosis?

Whenever a diagnosis is made, some staging investigations are performed because bowel cancer can spread. It’s important to know if there are any signs that the cancer has spread outside of the bowel and so as well as the examination of the bowel, we always perform a body scan to look at the chest, liver and abdomen. Once this has been done, we can then decide on the best form of treatment in consultation with a colorectal expert and specialist.

What are the chances of survival with a bowel cancer diagnosis?

The greatest chance of survival is with an early cancer so it’s important to present early if you have symptoms or to go through a bowel cancer screening programme. The chances of survival with a very early cancer can be ninety-five per cent over five years. However, the later the cancer, the more lymph glands are involved meaning there is more chance you need chemotherapy and a lower chance of survival. The key message is to present early if you have symptoms.

If you are concerned about the symptoms of bowel cancer or are seeking treatment and wish to schedule a consultation with Mr Skinner, you can do so by visiting his Top Doctors profile.