Colon or rectum cancer : London Health
These forms of cancer are commonly grouped under the umbrella term of bowel cancer. Bowel cancer is the third most common type of cancer in the UK.
Risk factors
The exact cause of bowel cancer is unknown but research studies have consistently demonstrated a number of risk factors; these include:
- Family history
- Poor diet (a diet that is high in fat and cholesterol)
- Being overweight
- Smoking
- Drinking regularly and excessively
- Digestive conditions such as Crohn’s disease
- Genetic conditions including FAP (familial adenomatous polyposis) and HNPCC (hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer); these conditions are very rare but they have been found to contribute to bowel cancer
Symptoms
Common symptoms include:
- Changes in bowel activity (that last for a prolonged period of time)
- Blood in faeces
- Abnormal weight loss
- Constipation
- Pain in the abdomen
Preventing bowel cancer
It is impossible to prevent bowel cancer but there are some steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of getting bowel cancer; these include:
- Eating a healthy diet
- Getting plenty of exercise
- Losing weight (if you are overweight)
- Cutting down on drinking
- Giving up smoking
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