According to Cancer Research UK, Bowel (Colorectal) cancer is the 3rd most common cancer in the UK after breast and lung cancer. There are about 37,500 cases diagnosed in the UK each year. About 14,000 of these are in the back passage (rectum) and the rest in the large bowel (colon).
What exactly is bowel cancer?
Again, this information can be found on Cancer Research UK’s website http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk The bowel is divided into the small bowel (small intestine) and the large bowel (colon and rectum). The small bowel is actually the longest part of the bowel. It is called small because it is narrower than the large bowel - cancer of the small bowel is rare. The large bowel is made up of the colon and rectum. It has walls made of several layers and bowel cancers start in the innermost layer - the lining of the bowel. If left untreated, it can grow into the muscle layers underneath, and then through the bowel wall. Most bowel cancers take 5 to 10 years to develop and usually begin as a small growth on the bowel wall called a polyp or adenoma.
So what causes bowel cancer?
The biggest single risk factor is age. More than 8 out of 10 bowel cancers (83%) are diagnosed in people over the age of 60. So the risk of getting this disease increases as you get older. But it is thought that many bowel cancers could be prevented with changes in diet and lifestyle. Other factors, such a strong family history of bowel cancer or certain medical conditions such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, also increase the risk of bowel cancer.
More information about prevention and early diagnosis can be found at:
http://www.bowelscreening.scot.nhs.uk
http://www.bowelcancer.tv
http://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk
Thursday, 8 April 2010
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