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Bowel cancer 1 page pdf

see also  NHMRC information       ( www.cancervic.org.au ) - Copy with permission

Bowel cancer

Bowel cancer generally affects the colon or rectum. Cancer of the small bowel is rare. Bowel cancer starts in the lining of the bowel (the mucosa). If untreated it spreads deeper into the wall of the bowel. From there, it can spread to lymph nodes in the area. Later, bowel cancer can spread to other areas including the liver or lungs.

Sometimes bowel cancer starts in polyps, that grow in the lining of the bowel. Polyps look like small mushrooms. These polyps are quite common in people over the age of 50 and are usually benign. However, some polyps can grow and become cancerous. People with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) have a lot of polyps in their bowel. They are at much greater risk of bowel cancer.

MORE INFORMATION from CCV