Bowel Cancer Flashcards
What is bowel + what does it do?
Small Bowel - Small intestine, breaks down food + absorbs nutrients
Large Bowel - Colon (undigested waste) + Rectum (waste/faeces stored here)
What is bowel cancer?
Name given to any cancer of the LARGE BOWEL
How common is bowel cancer?
4th most common in the UK.
2nd most common cause of cancer deaths
How important is early diagnosis in bowel cancer?
Highly treatable if caught early.
1st stage = 98% chance of 5 year survival
What are the signs and symptoms?
- Bleeding from bottom/blood in faeces
- Changes in bowel habits
- Losing weight
- Extreme tiredness
- Pain or lump in stomach
What risks can be changed in order to minimise them?
- smoking
- healthy BMI
- alcohol consumption
- healthy diet - reduced red meat + processed foods
- healthy lifestyle - exercise
- take part in bowel cancer screening programme
Who is the Bowel Cancer Screening programme aimed at?
People aged 60 to 74 automatically sent a home testing kit every 2 years.
People aged >75 can request one.
What does the Bowel Cancer Screening programme aim to do?
- Aims to find bowel cancer at an early stage.
- Finds tiny amounts of blood in faeces that can’t be seen with the naked eye.
- Doesn’t diagnose but can determine if more investigation needed
What happens if blood is found?
If abnormal (in 5-6 samples), invited to speak to specialist nurse + invited for colonoscopy.
What is the national screening target?
55%
Why don’t people take part in the screening programme?
- Lack of understanding
- Different ethnic background
- Fear, shame, embarrassment
- Forget
- Other health issues
- Fatalistic views of cancer
