Bowel cancer screening
Bowel cancer often starts out with small, noncancerous polyps in the large intestine (bowel) that don’t produce symptoms. Therefore, it’s recommended you receive screenings to identify and remove polyps before they become cancerous.
Bowel cancer can occur at any age, however, it’s most common in older adults. If you do develop bowel cancer, your doctor will work with you to tailor a treatment plan to your specific cancer and needs. The plan may include a combination of radiation, surgery and drug treatments, such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
See your doctor if you have any typical signs and symptoms of bowel cancer, such as:
- A persistent change in your bowel habits, such as constipation or diarrhea or a change in stool consistency
- Blood in your stool
- Rectal bleeding
- Ongoing abdominal discomfort, such as gas, pain or cramps
- A feeling that your bowel doesn't empty completely
- Weakness or fatigue
- Unexplained weight loss
When should you be screened for bowel cancer?
Talk to your doctor about screening options to catch bowel cancer before it starts. In general, people should start regular screenings around 50. However, your doctor may recommend you start screenings at an earlier age or have them more frequently if you are in a high-risk group, such as having a family history of bowel cancer.
Risk factors include:
- Older age
- History of bowel cancer or polyps
- History of inflammatory intestinal conditions
- Inherited syndromes that increase bowel cancer risk, such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and Lynch syndrome, which is also known as hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC)
- Family history of bowel cancer
- Low-fibre, high-fat diet
- A sedentary lifestyle
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Smoking
- Alcohol
How do you test for bowel cancer?
A colonoscopy usually takes between 30 and 60 minutes.
Usually it takes about an hour for the sedative to start wearing off. However, its effects can last a full day, so it is important for your safety that you have someone take you home. You won't be able to drive and shouldn't make important decisions or go back to work for the rest of the day.
Because the procedure pumps air into the colon, you may feel bloated for a few hours after the exam and pass gas. Walking can help lessen discomfort.
Your Mayo Clinic Healthcare team will work with you to determine if a colonoscopy is appropriate to your needs.