Bowel cancer (also known as colorectal cancer) is the most common cancer in Australia (apart from common skin cancers). It can often be found at an early stage when treatment is more likely to cure the disease. There are steps you can take to help reduce your risk of bowel cancer.
Download: Information Sheet: Finding Bowel Cancer Early (PDF 100kb)
The bowel is the longest part of the digestive tract ('the gut'). It has 2 sections:
The large bowel is made up of two partsãthe colon and the rectum.
Bowel cancer is a cancerous growth that usually starts in the lining of the large bowel. It can grow there for a long time before spreading to other parts of the body.
This is why the earlier a bowel cancer is found, the better the chance of curing it. There is a 90% chance of cure if the cancer is found at an early stage.
Bowel cancer is the most common cancer which affects men and women in Victoria, apart from common skin cancers. More than 3,400 people are diagnosed each year.
Bowel cancer can occur at any age, but the risk is greater if you are over the age of 50.
Your risk of bowel cancer also increases if you:
If these factors apply to you, talk to your doctor about your risk of bowel cancer.
Not all bowel cancers show symptoms but you should see your doctor if you notice any of the following:
Usually there is a simple explanation for these symptoms, but if you do have bowel cancer, it is best to find it early.
Bowel cancer screening involves testing people without any obvious symptoms of bowel cancer. Screening with a faecal occult blood test (FOBT) is recommended for healthy people aged over 50.
An FOBT is a simple test for the early signs of bowel cancer. It involves taking tiny samples from two or three bowel motions using a test kit. The samples are collected at home and then sent to a laboratory for testing.
FOBTs look for tiny amounts of blood in a bowel motion (blood which cannot be seen with your own eyes). Blood in a bowel motion is usually caused by something less serious than cancer, however, it may be due to a polyp (a growth on the inside of the bowel that could develop into cancer) or a bowel cancer that bleeds. If blood is found in a bowel motion, further tests will be needed to find out what has caused the bleeding.
Remember, bowel cancer is highly (90%) curable if found at an early stage. And polyps found through FOBT can be removed before they develop into cancer.
More information about faecal occult blood tests (FOBTs)
The Australian Government's National Bowel Cancer Screening Program has been started to help detect bowel cancer early and reduce the number of Australians who die each year from the disease. Before June 2008, approximately one million Australians turning 55 or 65 between 1 May 2006 and 30 June 2008 will be invited to take part in the program, which involves screening for bowel cancer by doing an FOBT. People who were involved in the pilot program (conducted in Mackay, Adelaide and Melbourne in 2002–2004) will also be invited to participate.
More information about the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program
People aged over 50 years, without symptoms and without a strong family history of bowel cancer, are encouraged to do an FOBT every two years. Talk to your doctor about accessing an FOBT for a small cost or order one online.
You can also call the Cancer Council Helpline on 13 11 20 for more information.
You can help to reduce your risk of bowel cancer by:
By following this advice, it doesn't mean that you will never get bowel cancer, but it can reduce your risk and has other health benefits too.
For more information call 13 11 20.
Updated June 2007
Bowel cancer screening video (Length 1:22)
with Professor David Hill
