Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer is a form of bowel cancer that starts in the large bowel (colon) or the rectum. Bowel cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the UK, with around 41,000 people diagnosed every year. Colorectal cancer affects different sections in the large bowel specifically, including the colon and the rectum.
Contact UsWhat is Colorectal Cancer
What is colorectal cancer?
Bowel cancer is a more general term for cancer affecting the entire digestive tract, including the large and small bowel. Colorectal cancer, more specifically, affects the large bowel or the rectum and is still considered a type of bowel cancer.
Bowel cancer is the 4th most common type of cancer in the UK, and it can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, and lifestyle.
We work together to combine the highest levels of consultant-led care and patient choice with the most advanced knowledge and understanding of the disease and its forms.
Learn More About Colorectal Cancer
While the exact cause of colorectal cancer is unknown, there are some risk factors associated with developing it. Your age, diet, weight, and lifestyle can all affect your likelihood of developing colorectal cancer.
Prior health conditions can also make you more susceptible to developing colorectal cancer, such as inflammatory bowel conditions, including ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s Disease (IBS, however, does not increase the risk). People with type 2 diabetes and people with inherited family conditions like Lynch Syndrome also have a slightly higher risk.
If you have any concerns about your health, it’s always a good idea to make an appointment with a doctor who can help you find out more about your health problems, provide you with emotional support, and refer you to a specialist if necessary.
Symptoms
- Blood in your stools or bleeding from the back passage (rectum) which can look red or black in colour.
- Abdominal pain or pain in the rectum.
- A change in bowel movements that has no apparent cause and lasts for longer than three weeks.
- A feeling that you have not emptied your bowel properly after you go to the toilet.
- Unexplained fatigue: tiredness, dizziness, or breathlessness.
- Unexplained weight loss.
- Anaemia – a red blood cell deficiency which can cause weakness and shortness of breath.
Colorectal cancer is also known to sometimes cause blockages in the bowel. If you experience these symptoms along with a bowel cancer diagnosis or symptoms, you should seek medical treatment immediately:
- Constipation and bloating
- Stomach pain
- Nausea and vomiting
Diagnosis
Rectal Examination – A doctor will examine your back passage with a gloved finger to feel for any lumps or swelling.
Bowel Screening – As a risk factor for colorectal cancer is age, the NHS offer at-home bowel cancer screening kits to over 50s.
Colonoscopy – A thin tube with a light and camera on the end is inserted through the back passage to inspect the entire length of the large intestine.
Virtual Colonoscopy – A CT scanner takes a series of X-rays to build a three-dimensional picture of your bowel.
Sigmoidoscopy – Similar to a colonoscopy, but it only looks at the lower part of your colon.
Biopsy – Usually taken during a colonoscopy, a doctor will remove a small piece of tissue to check the cells for cancer.
Blood Test – To check your level of red blood cells for potential anaemia.
Treatments available at Clatterbridge Private Clinic
The treatment you have for colorectal cancer depends on the size of the cancer, where it is located, whether it has spread to other parts of the body and your age and general health. You may be offered a combination of treatments. Consultants at the Clatterbridge Private Clinic develop a tailored treatment plan for each patient best-suited to their needs. We have access to a wide range of treatment options, including the innovative Papillon therapy.
Surgery
You may be offered surgery to remove the cancer with the aim to remove the cancer completely. Surgery may be coupled with other treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, which can be provided before or after surgery, depending on the treatment plan our specialist team provides.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is one of the most common treatments for cancer. It uses cytotoxic drugs to disrupt the cancer cell’s ability to grow and reproduce. You may be given chemotherapy after surgery to stop the cancer coming back, as an alternative to surgery or if the colorectal cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Patients at Clatterbridge Private Clinic are treated within our state-of-the-art outpatient chemotherapy suite and have access to the latest drug regimes, some of which may not be routinely available on the NHS.
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy uses high energy x-rays to destroy cancer cells. Radiotherapy can be used after surgery to prevent cancer returning, before surgery to shrink the cancer, or as an alternative if surgery is not an option. It can be used on its own, but it is often given in combination with chemotherapy which is known as chemoradiation treatment. At Clatterbridge Private Clinic, we offer advanced radiotherapy techniques such as image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), and three-dimensional radiation therapy (3D-CRT), and Papillon therapy which is specifically developed for treating colorectal cancers, all delivered by our expert radiographers.
