Experienced with complex tertiary practice – good decision maker and colleague
Symptoms: loose motions, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, weight loss, anaemia, difficult evacuation
Investigations: blood tests, colonoscopy, CT colonography, CT scan
Basic facts:
- bowel cancer is common, it affects around 42,000 patients / year in the UK
- it commonly affects people over the age of 50 but it can affect younger people in around 10-20% of cases
- there is often a family history
- the disease is often latent for a long time
- change in bowel habit or rectal bleeding requires investigation
- early diagnosis is crucial to achieving long term survival
- surgery is the mainstay of treatment