Colorectal Cancer (Bowel Cancer)

• Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in Ireland after lung cancer with approx. 2,200 new cases per year.
• Over the last 15 years the number of cases of colorectal cancer has risen by approximately 20% in both sexes. By 2020 the number of new cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed each year in Ireland is projected to increase by 79% in men and 56% in women. This projected growth is attributable to an increasing and ageing population.
• Ireland has the highest mortality rate for colorectal cancer in Western Europe and according to GLOBOCAN 2002 had the fourth highest mortality rate amongst men worldwide.
• A recent national bowel cancer awareness survey showed a very worrying lack of knowledge about the early signs and symptoms of bowel cancer and the risk factors for the disease.
  The survey showed that:
  • One in three people cannot name one sign or symptom of bowel cancer
  • One in four people cannot name a single risk factor for bowel cancer

BE AWARE OF THE SIGNS

• Blood in your bowel motion or bleeding from your back passage
• A lasting change (more than a month) in your normal bowel motion, such as diarrhoea or constipation
• Feeling that you have not emptied your bowel after a motion
• Weight loss
• Abdominal pain or swelling
• Persistent tiredness or weakness

REDUCE YOUR RISK

• Have a healthy diet. Limit the amount of red and processed meat that you eat.
• Increase the amount of fibre you eat, including at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day.
• Keep a healthy body weight.
• Be physically active for at least 30 minutes every day.
• Don’t smoke.
• Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
• Be aware of your family history. If there is a history of bowel cancer in your family, discuss this with your GP.

BOWEL SCREENING

Mr. Hannon is a member of the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme at St James’s Hospital.

Bowel screening (www.bowelscreen.ie) can identify cancers at an earlier stage, improving outcome. The programme offers a BowelScreen home test kit to women and men aged 60 to 69 every two years. The test checks for hidden blood in your bowel motions. Patients with a positive stool test are invited to have a colonoscopy.

Bowel Cancer Treatment

The treatment of bowel Cancer is deliverred by using a Multidiscipliniary approach. This means that there will be several specialist involeved in each case. These may include a gastroenterologist, a radiologist and a pathologist in the diagnosis of the Bowel Cancer and a colorectal surgeon, a medical oncologist and a radiation oncologist duruing the treatment of the Bowel Cancer.

Surgery for bowel cancer is performed laparoscopically in most cases. Chemotherapy or radiotherpay may be required before or after surgery (or both), depending on the stage of the disease.

For more information about Colo-rectal cancer Visit Here