Signs and symptoms

The three main symptoms of bowel cancer are blood in the stools (faeces), changes in bowel habit such as more frequent, looser stools and abdominal (tummy) pain.

However, these symptoms are very common and most people with them do not have bowel cancer. For example, blood in the stools is more often caused by haemorrhoids (piles), and a change in bowel habit or abdominal pain is usually the result of something you have eaten.

As almost 9 out of 10 people with bowel cancer are over the age of 60, these symptoms are more important as people get older. They are also more significant when they persist despite simple treatments.

 

Risk factors for bowel cancer

It’s not known exactly what causes bowel cancer, but there are a number of things that can increase the risk as below:

• older age as most cases occur in people aged 60 or over

• diets high in red or processed meats and low in fibre

• being overweight

• inactive or sedentary life styles

• high alcohol intake and smoking may increase your chances of getting bowel cancer

• family history  (having a close relative  that is mother or father, brother or sister who developed bowel cancer under the age of 50)

• presence of other conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, over a long period

 

To know more about Bowel Cancer, click here to download the pdf.