Bowel Cancer Testing and Treatment

A change in bowel habits or a small amount of blood during bowel movements is not always indicative of bowel cancer, but if either conditions lasts for any amount of time, a licensed health care provider should be contacted to conduct a screening for this potentially fatal condition.

A small amount of blood is usually a sign of internal hemorrhoids, but it can also be caused by rectal tumors. Dark red blood intermixed with stool is a sign that bleeding is occurring higher up in the digestive tract, a symptom that causes more concern, since it is more difficult to locate the source.

Even patients who do not display signs and symptoms of gastrointestinal distress, are recommended to undergo regularly scheduled colonoscopies to detect unnoticed changes in the bowel wall. The descending colon and the colorectal regions of the large intestine are particularly susceptible to new growths occurring as people age, men more so than women, but neither gender is immune. Adenomatous polyps regularly occur in the large intestine, and these are visible to the physician who performs a colonoscopy. These polyps are removed via the colonoscope, and they are submitted to a pathologist for a definitive diagnosis. Many adenomatous polyps are benign, and their removal requires no further treatment. A malignant polyp, however, may require more aggressive treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and further surgery.

Growths that occur higher in the colon may need to be investigated by a radiologist. A barium meal or barium enema allows a mildly radioactive substance to pass through the digestive system, where it is observed and examined by a radiologist to determine its nature and extent. 

Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, bloody faeces, and abdominal pain are all signs of bowel cancer. These symptoms can also be caused by other conditions such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, or non-specific inflammatory bowel disease. Only a licensed physician can determine the cause after a thorough examination. 

Diets high in red meat have been linked to higher incidences of colon and colorectal cancer. High fiber diets are prescribed as a preventative measure. The introduction of vegetables and whole grains stimulates movement in the bowels and prevents potential carcinogens from lingering long. 

Because the colon is intimately linked with the body’s lymphatic symptom, cancer arising from the bowel wall has a likely chance of metastasizing to other organs. The lymph nodes associated with the digestive system remove impurities from the blood stream as they are encountered in the small and large intestines. They are generally the first place that neoplastic mutations occur when a malignant tumour begins to expand and infiltrate other organs.

When a portion of cancerous bowel is removed, the lymph nodes that serve that site are also removed in order to grade the tumour, and evaluate its malignant potential. The two ends of bowel may be reattached via anastomosis, or the bowel may be temporarily affixed to the outer abdominal wall, forming a stoma from which faeces can exit the body.