Bowel cancer

  • Bowel cancer is cancer that's found anywhere in the large bowel, which includes the colon and rectum.
  • The large bowel is part of your digestive system. It helps absorb water from your food and removes food waste from your body.
  • How serious bowel cancer is depends on how big the cancer is, if the cancer has spread, and your general health.
  • Bowel cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the UK.
  • Bowel cancer screening can pick up bowel cancer early, which may mean it's easier to treat.

Symptoms of bowel cancer may include:

  • changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you
  • needing to poo more or less often than usual for you
  • blood in your poo, which may look red or black
  • bleeding from your bottom
  • often feeling like you need to poo, even if you've just been to the toilet
  • tummy pain
  • a lump in your tummy
  • bloating
  • losing weight without trying
  • feeling very tired or short of breath – these are signs of anaemia, which can be caused by bowel cancer

See a GP if:

  • you have any symptoms of bowel cancer for 3 weeks or more

Try not to be embarrassed. The doctor or nurse will be used to talking about these symptoms.

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:

  • your poo is black or dark red
  • you have bloody diarrhoea

You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.

Go to A&E or call 999 if:

  • you're bleeding non-stop from your bottom
  • there's a lot of blood, for example, the toilet water turns red or you see large blood clots
Find your nearest A&E

Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring any medicines you take with you.

Important

Some of these symptoms are very common and can be caused by other conditions.

Having the symptoms does not definitely mean you have bowel cancer, but it's important to get checked by a GP.

If your symptoms are caused by cancer, finding it early may mean it's easier to treat.

The doctor will ask you more about your symptoms, general health, medical history, and if anyone in your family has had bowel cancer.

Depending on your symptoms, the doctor may feel your tummy and ask to do a rectal examination. This is where they put a gloved finger inside your bottom to check for any lumps.

You'll be asked to undress from the waist down for the rectal exam. You can ask for a male or female doctor or nurse.

You can ask for someone else to be in the room with you when the rectal examination happens.

You may be asked for a poo sample (stool sample) for testing, or be given a home test kit called a faecal immunochemical test (FIT), to collect a small sample of poo and send it to a lab. These check if you're bleeding from your bowel, which can be a sign of bowel cancer.

You may also be asked to have a blood test.

Referral to a specialist

You may get an urgent referral for more tests or to see a specialist in hospital if the GP thinks you have symptoms that could be cancer. This does not definitely mean you have cancer.

Find out more

It's not always known what causes bowel cancer, but it can be caused by genetic changes, lifestyle, and environmental factors.

Having certain health conditions can also make you more likely to get bowel cancer.

You may be more likely to get bowel cancer if:

Find out more

You cannot always prevent bowel cancer, but there are things you can do to lower your chance of getting it.

Do

  • eat a healthy diet including at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day

  • stay active and exercise regularly

  • lose weight if you're overweight

  • quit smoking

  • drink less alcohol

  • eat less red and processed meat

It's important to get any symptoms of bowel cancer checked by a GP.

If a GP refers you to a specialist because they think you could have bowel cancer, you'll have tests to check for cancer.

The main test for bowel cancer is a colonoscopy. This is where a thin, flexible, tube with a camera is used to look inside your bowel.

It may be uncomfortable but it should not be painful. You'll be offered a sedative and painkillers to help make you feel more comfortable.

During the colonoscopy, a small sample of the lining of your bowel may be taken for testing (called a biopsy).

Find out more

You may get some results on the same day that you have the colonoscopy, or after a few days.

You can call the hospital or your GP if you're worried and they may be able to update you if your results are ready.

If you're told you have bowel cancer

Being told you have bowel cancer can feel overwhelming. You may be feeling anxious about what will happen.

You'll be helped through your diagnosis and treatment by a team of specialists.

This team will include a clinical nurse specialist who will be your main point of contact during and after your treatment. You can ask them any questions you may have.

Get support

Macmillan Cancer Support has a free helpline that's open every day from 8am to 8pm.

They're there to listen if you have anything you want to talk about.

Call 0808 808 00 00.

If you've been told you have bowel cancer, you may need more tests which can include:

The results of these tests can show how far the cancer has spread, and if the cancer has been caused by certain changes in your genes.

This will help your specialist team decide what treatment you need.

Find out more

The treatment you'll have for bowel cancer depends on:

  • the size of the cancer
  • if the cancer is in your colon or rectum, or both
  • if it has spread to other parts of your body
  • if the cancer has certain genetic changes
  • your age and general health

You may be offered a combination of treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted medicines.

Your specialist treatment team will:

  • explain the treatments, the benefits and side effects
  • work with you to make a treatment plan that's best for you
  • help you to manage the side effects of treatment

If you have any questions or worries, you can talk to your specialist team.

Surgery may be carried out to remove cancer from the bowel. Part or all of the bowel around the cancer may also need to be removed.

To help your recovery, you may need a colostomy or ileostomy, which may be temporary or permanent.

You'll be supported through surgery and recovery by your specialist treatment team.

Find out more

Chemotherapy is medicine that kills cancer cells.

You may have chemotherapy for bowel cancer:

  • after surgery to try to stop the cancer coming back
  • if you're unable to have surgery
  • if cancer has spread to other parts of your body

Find out more

Radiotherapy uses radiation to kill cancer cells. A machine is used to target beams of radiation directly at tumours.

You may have radiotherapy for bowel cancer if:

  • you have cancer in your rectum
  • the cancer has spread to other parts of your body

Find out more

Targeted medicines kill cancer cells.

Immunotherapy is where medicines are used to help your immune system kill cancer.

Targeted medicines or immunotherapy are sometimes used to treat advanced bowel cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.

Find out more

If you've been diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer, it may be hard to treat and not possible to cure.

The aim of treatment will be to slow down the growth and spread of the cancer, to help with the symptoms, and help you live longer.

Finding out cancer cannot be cured can be very hard news to take in.

You'll be referred to a team of doctors and nurses called a symptom control team or palliative care team.

They will help you to manage your symptoms and make you feel more comfortable.

The palliative care team can also help you and your loved ones get any other support you need.

Find out more

If you have bowel cancer, your specialist treatment team will be there to support you throughout your treatment. They will also be able to give you information about local support services you may find helpful.

There are also national cancer charities that can offer support and information about bowel cancer: