Bowel Cancer
Non-urgent advice: What is Bowel Cancer?
Bowel cancer is a common type of cancer that affects the large bowel, including the colon and rectum. It usually develops from small growths called polyps, which can sometimes turn into cancer over time.
Non-urgent advice: Symptoms to look out for
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Changes in your poo, such as diarrhea or constipation that lasts for weeks.
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Blood in your poo or bleeding from your bottom.
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Ongoing tummy pain, bloating, or discomfort.
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Unexplained weight loss or feeling very tired all the time
If you have any of these symtpoms that last over 3 weeks, book in to see a GP.
Non-urgent advice: Prevention & Screening
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Eating a healthy diet, staying active, and not smoking can reduce your risk.
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If you're over 50, you may be invited to take part in bowel cancer screening. This simple test checks for signs of cancer early, even if you have no symptoms.
Each month, the NHS posts out more than half a million free Faecal Immunochemical Test kits (FIT) to people to use in the privacy of their homes.
The FIT kit detects small amounts of blood in poo- that would not be visible to people – before someone may notice anything is wrong.
People aged 60 to 74 years who are registered with a GP practice and lives in England are automatically sent a FIT kit every two years. As part of plans to lower the age of people that receive the test to age 50 by 2025.