Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, can affect any part of the colon or rectum; it may also be referred to as colon cancer or rectal cancer, depending on where the cancer is located.
Bowel cancer screening is for people who do not already have bowel cancer, symptoms of bowel cancer, or any reason to have a high risk of bowel cancer.
Patient-centred care is healthcare that is respectful of, and responsive to, the preferences, needs and values of patients and consumers.
Bowel Cancer Australia provides essential support services uniquely designed for bowel cancer patients via our confidential Helpline with specialist telehealth support, as well as a national Peer-to-Peer Support Network and Buddy Program.
Bowel Cancer Australia funds research that has the potential to improve survival and/or help build a path toward a cure and integrates published research into our awareness, advocacy, and support strategies.
Bowel Cancer Australia relies upon donations and the support of hard working and enthusiastic fundraisers across the country to continue our life saving work. We raise funds to continue our life-saving work and inspire others to do the same, so everyone affected by bowel cancer can live their best life.
If your cancer is advanced when it is first diagnosed you may be offered chemotherapy to keep it under control. You may have just one chemotherapy or a combination of chemotherapies.
Some people with bowel cancer that has spread receive precision medicine or immunotherapy which are different types of treatment to chemotherapy.
Ask your oncologist about the choices available to you, and the combination option.
In some circumstances you may have surgery.
The choice of treatment depends on:
Sometimes when there is a recurrence of bowel cancer in the bowel, it is possible to remove it. This is unlikely to cure the cancer because there are usually cancer cells elsewhere in the body.
Removal of the bowel tumour may however relieve any symptoms you may have. It may also be some time before the cancer starts to grow anywhere else.
Sometimes when bowel cancer metastasises in the liver or lungs and the cancer is small enough, or there are only one or two cancers, surgery to remove them may be an option.
This is not suitable treatment in every situation and is done more often for liver metastases than for lung metastases. If you have this type of surgery, you may also have chemotherapy before and after the operation.
To decide if this treatment is suitable for you, your specialist will look at:
Sometimes bowel cancer can grow so that it completely blocks the bowel.
This is called a bowel obstruction.
The waste from the food you have digested cannot get past the blockage.
This can cause a number of symptoms such as feeling bloated and full, pain, feeling sick, vomiting, or constipation.
To relieve symptoms, it is sometimes possible to unblock the bowel by putting in a stent.
To put the stent in, the surgeon puts a flexible tube with a light at the end (called an colonoscope) into the bowel through your back passage through a procedure known as a colonoscopy.
The surgeon uses the colonoscope to see where the blockage is and pushes the stent through it.
The stent expands and holds the bowel open so that poo can pass through again. The surgeon leaves the stent in the bowel to keep it open. As well as relieving symptoms, this procedure gives specialists time to plan an operation to remove the blocked part of the bowel.
Another way to remove an obstruction is to operate and remove the affected part of the bowel, provided you are fit enough. It may be possible to close up the bowel again during the operation or you may need to have a colostomy.
Chemotherapy to shrink a cancer and control symptoms is called palliative chemotherapy.
Treatment with chemotherapy at this stage is unlikely to cure your cancer, but it can help you live longer.
For metastatic bowel cancer, the aim of chemotherapy is to help you feel better.
If however, you are unhappy about the side effects, you do not have to continue with the treatment.
Your oncologist will arrange a scan before you start treatment and again three months later. Your oncologist can measure the tumour on the scan and so will be able to see how well the treatment is working. The tumour may have become smaller or larger or remained the same size.
If it has remained the same size, your oncologist will want to talk to you about whether or not it is worth continuing with your treatment.
If the tumour has become bigger, despite your treatment, your oncologist will stop the chemotherapy and may suggest trying a different treatment.
Bowel Cancer Australia’s comprehensive resource regarding possible surgery and treatment options for metastatic cancer in the liver, lungs or peritoneum.
Bowel Cancer Australia’s essential support services are uniquely designed for you.
Email, call of video chat confidentially with one of our friendly nurses, nutritionists, or psychosocial support worker, plus access our resources, peer-to-peer buddy program, support group or podcast.