Understanding Colon or Bowel Cancer
- Niamh Ferry, 40, noticed blood in her stool and thankfully decided to get checked, just four years after her mom was diagnosed with bowel cancer, also known as colon cancer. She soon learned she would be battling the same disease.
- Bowel cancer is a general term for cancer that begins in the large bowel, but generally, we use the term colorectal cancer or colon cancer or rectal cancer depending on the location of the cancer in the United States.
- Possible symptoms of bowel cancer include a change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation or narrowing of the stool that lasts for more than a few days and rectal bleeding with bright red blood.
The arts administrator, from Ireland, had already been on a list, along with her siblings, to get a bowel cancer screening at the age of 50 due to her family history of the disease. Normally, on the Emerald Isle, the national bowel cancer screening program first starts screening people at 60 years old.
Read More"My husband was invited in with me to get the results so I knew it must be bad news. I immediately thought my mother died from this so how will I survive, but scan results a few days later showed that the cancer hadn't spread beyond the colorectal region,” Ferry said.
Ferry underwent five cycles of chemotherapy, as well as 30 days of combined chemotherapy and radiation treatment. The combined treatment was done to shrink the tumor and reduce the risk of it spreading prior to surgery.
Be Pushy, Be Your Own Advocate… Don’t Settle
In March 2022, Gerry underwent bowel cancer surgery and a full hysterectomy, putting her fertility treatment to an end. She explained, “Having a hysterectomy as well was an emotional decision but bowel cancer treatment had already taken away my chances of having a baby.”
After spending 10 days in the hospital, Ferry had a good recovery and was “feeling great.” “I was up and moving around within a day of my surgery. I have a temporary stoma which diverts waste … and I'll have that removed soon,” she added.
Ferry recounts looking up to Deborah James, an English journalist whose popular slogan was “don't sit on your symptoms,” as she underwent treatment. James raised awareness for the disease before passing away from incurable bowel cancer.
Following Ferry’s cancer diagnosis and treatment, the loving wife has made some changes in her diet and her life. “I'm just about to start a new job. My husband and I have moved to live beside the sea and we have a puppy now,” she said.
Recalling how she “lived on fizzy drinks” in her 30s and spent most of the day sitting during work, she admits she has removed “fizzy drinks” from her diet. “I drink water. I don't eat red meat or processed foods and I dabble in veganism. I try to have an active life but I'm not a perfect person,” she explained.
Understanding Bowel Cancer
Bowel cancer is a general term for cancer that begins in the large bowel, but generally, we use the term colorectal cancer or colon cancer or rectal cancer depending on the location of the cancer in the United States.
Bowel cancer, like all cancers, presents its own unique challenges for patients on the road to recovery. But Dr. Heather Yeo, a surgical oncologist and colorectal surgeon at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, wants to remind people how far the treatment of this disease has come.
"One of the most exciting things about my job is that we've made a lot of progress on treatment options," Dr. Yeo says in a previous interview with SurvivorNet. "However, patients are still while they're living longer, they are still living with colon cancer, and so I think it's really important that we talk about how some of the things in your life affect you."
Symptoms of Bowel Cancer
Colorectal (bowel) cancer might not immediately cause symptoms, but these are possible symptoms to look out for:
- A change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation or narrowing of the stool that lasts for more than a few days
- A feeling that you need to have a bowel movement that's not relieved by having one
- Rectal bleeding with bright red blood
- Blood in the stool, which might make the stool look dark brown or black
- Cramping or abdominal (belly) pain
- Weakness and fatigue
- Unintended weight loss
It is important to note, however, that displaying some of these symptoms does not mean you have colorectal cancer. You could also have colon cancer and not display any of these symptoms. Regardless, it is important to bring up any symptoms to your doctor should they arise.
Screening for Bowel Cancer
Dr. Yeo also reminds people of the importance of colorectal cancer screenings such as colonoscopies because most colorectal cancers can be prevented early with screening.
"In the United States, on a national level, colorectal cancer has been decreasing for the last 20 years," Dr. Yeo says. "And much of that is thought to be directly due to screening for colon cancer."
“You Shouldn't Die From Embarrassment”: Colon Cancer Can Be Prevented
Even still, colorectal cancer cases are rising among younger people. And in the United States alone, rates have increased every year from 2011 to 2016 by 2 percent among people younger than 50. Because of this increase, the United States Preventive Services Task Force has recently updated its colorectal cancer screening recommendations to begin at age 45 instead of 50.
"We know that colon cancers can be prevented when polyps are found early," Dr. Yeo said. "Lowering the screening age helps somewhat with this. But access to care is a real problem."
And increasing access is crucial to making sure that we don't see racial disparities within the world of colorectal cancer. Whites and Asians are significantly more likely to be up to date with their colonoscopies than African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans.
Related: 'Fit' Airbnb Manager Thought His Diarrhea Was From 'Too Much Rich Food:' It Turned Out To Be Cancer
Research suggests that tailoring colon cancer screenings to each person's individual risk may be beneficial. If you are not yet 45 but have concerns about your risk, talk to your doctor. Ask about your individual risk based on your lifestyle and family history and find out when screenings would be right for you.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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