Kym Provan, Clinical Negligence Partner at Enable Law and head of the firm’s Cancer Special Interest Group, highlights the key risks and symptoms of possible bowel cancer during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.
The statistics
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, accounting for around 12% of all new cancer diagnoses each year and affecting both men and women. Although it is statistically most commonly diagnosed in people over the age of 50, there have been a number of widely publicised cases in recent years involving much younger individuals. Dame Deborah James brought these issues to the forefront, encouraging more open conversations about bowel cancer, particularly in younger people, as well as greater awareness of its symptoms and treatment options.
Why early diagnosis is key
Bowel cancer is also one of the cancers where early diagnosis can make the most difference. Some cancers, like basal cell carcinomas (a form of skin cancer), are almost always able to be treated successfully. Others, very sadly, have a more guarded prognosis, even if they are caught relatively early. The outlook for bowel cancer patients has improved substantially in recent decades, with the development of new and more targeted treatments, but even so, the long term outcome is very much driven by how early the cancer is detected and treated.
Risk Factors
There are some key risk factors for bowel cancer, which can increase your risk of developing the disease. These include:
- Age over 50 (although as already noted, reports of bowel cancer in younger patients are growing)
- Family history of bowel cancer
- Previous history of bowel polyps
- Inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s disease or Ulcerative colitis
- A genetic condition called Lynch syndrome
- Type 2 diabetes
- Obesity
- Smoking
- Excessive alcohol intake
However, these factors are not determinative. Some patients have none of these risk factors, whereas other individuals with all of them may never develop the disease.
Symptoms
Given the importance of early diagnosis and treatment, it is vital that everyone, both medical professionals and the general public, is aware of the warning symptoms that could be an indication of bowel cancer. Symptoms that you should seek medical attention for include:
- Rectal bleeding – you may notice this in the toilet or on toilet tissue
- Blood in your poo
- A persistent change in bowel habits. This may mean more frequent bowel movements or alternating diarrhoea and constipation
- An abdominal or rectal mass
- Abdominal pain
- Constant fatigue for no reason
- Losing weight for no reason
- Iron deficiency anaemia (this can be a sign of hidden bleeding in your bowel)
Some of these symptoms can be rather vague. Bowel Cancer UK have a very helpful Symptom Diary that can be downloaded from their website, which will help to keep track and give a clear picture of your symptoms to your doctor.
Seeking help
The thought of a possible cancer diagnosis is frightening for almost everyone, and this can deter some people from visiting their doctor to be checked. However, it is important to remember that these symptoms could be caused by something else. Your doctor may be able to rule out cancer and instead identify an alternative cause that can be effectively treated. Even if your worst fears are confirmed, receiving a diagnosis and being placed on the correct treatment pathway is the first step towards taking control and helping to ensure the best possible outcome.
Bowel cancer screening is now offered across the UK although the age criteria may differ depending on where in the UK you live. For the vast majority of people in England, Scotland and Wales, screening is offered every two years between the ages of 50 and 74. In Northern Ireland screening is currently only offered between the ages of 60 and 74. This is in the form of a faecal immunochemical test (usually referred to as a FIT test), which you can take at home and send to a specialist lab for testing.
Offering you a FIT test is also one of the first steps that a GP may take if you present with some of the symptoms of possible bowel cancer listed above. The test detects whether there is any blood in your poo, and if so will likely lead on to further tests to rule out bowel cancer or to confirm the diagnosis and enable treatment to be started as soon as possible.
When mistakes are made
Unfortunately, despite the increased awareness amongst the general public of possible bowel cancer symptoms, there are still occasions when the medical professionals that they go to see, get it wrong. At Enable Law we have helped many people who have been affected by a diagnosis of bowel cancer, where despite seeking appropriate help, the medical treatment provided wasn’t all that it should be.
We have helped several clients and their families, where the diagnosis was considerably delayed because their GP attributed the patient’s altered bowel habits to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), without excluding a diagnosis of bowel cancer first. In another case, known iron deficiency anaemia was not appropriately investigated despite numerous blood tests, meaning that the diagnosis wasn’t made until the patient presented in acute pain at A&E over 18 months later. In yet another, a client with known inflammatory bowel disease was not appropriately monitored in line with well established guidelines, meaning that the disease had progressed by the time the diagnosis was made. There have also been instances where test results have been misinterpreted or even simply ‘misfiled’, so that the appropriate follow-up treatment is not offered when it should be.
Take-home message
The message to take away and hold onto from Bowel Cancer Awareness month is to be aware of your body, be aware of your bowel habits and don’t be afraid to speak out. If you don’t feel that your symptoms are being taken seriously enough, ask for a second opinion, or explain that you are concerned about possible bowel cancer and need to have your mind put at rest. Doctors want to help their patients – they don’t want to be responsible for a delayed diagnosis, but sometimes they are so busy they can overlook the warning signs. It is so important not to let embarrassment or fear prevent you from asking the crucial questions that ultimately could save your life.
If you think that you might have a claim for a delayed diagnosis of bowel cancer then contact Kym Provan or a member of our cancer team on 0800 044 8488 or fill in our contact form so we can give you a call at a time convenient for you. We can help you understand what may have happened and help you bring a claim if you decide to do so.
