Bowel Cancer / Colorectal Cancer

Bowel cancer normally refers to cancers that start in the large bowel (colon) or the back passage (rectum). It is also called colorectal cancer, or just colon cancer and rectal cancer, depending on where the cancer starts. The bowel is part of our digestive system (also called the gastrointestinal system) which processes food into energy and also absorbs fluid from the food to form the stool that passes through the rectum. The bowel is split into the small bowel (small intestine) and the large bowel (colon and rectum). The small bowel is the first part of the bowel and is the longest but thinnest part. Cancer of the small bowel is rare. Most cancers in the bowels are found in the large bowel which is the second part of the bowel and consists of the colon and rectum. There are various factors that increase our risk of developing bowel cancer, including too much fat and not enough fruit and vegetables in our diet. Diseases in the lining of the bowels can also increase our risk of developing bowel cancer and in some cases there are genetic factors that put people at a higher risk. There are different types of bowel cancer and you may want to find out more about a specific type.

To help you find answers to some of your questions, we have linked to Maggie’s CancerLinks where you will be signposted to high quality information about bowel cancer. The information on these websites is not written specifically for young people but it is written using simple language in a way that most people will be able to understand. Don’t worry if there are lots of links to different websites. Have a look on the description of the links and very often you will find the information you are searching for on the first website that you look at. If you just want general information about cancer you could read the ‘About cancer’ section on riprap.

Remember that the information on these sites is general. Within each cancer type, there are different variations, different stages, different treatments and people may also respond differently to the same treatments. Each person is an individual and because of this, generic information may not fit the situation you are thinking of. Often your parents or someone else who knows the details can answer your questions best. Also, please feel free to get in touch with us here at riprap. We can help you sorting through information or discuss things you’ve heard or read or anything at all that’s on your mind.

Don’t forget that there are lots of effective treatments for cancer these days and many cancers can be completely cured. There are also very good treatments to control cancers that cannot be cured and research is going on all the time to find new treatments that can control and cure cancers.

Page updated 13 July 2017