Bowel cancer - A to Z
Bowel cancer affects more than 36,500 people in the UK every year. It is the second most common cancer in women and the third in men. Thanks to improved treatment and earlier detection, five-year survival rates for bowel cancer have doubled over the last 30 years.
Eating a diet low in red or processed meat and high in fibre, fruit and vegetables can reduce the risk of bowel cancer. Being physically active helps to cut the risk, but being overweight or regularly drinking too much alcohol increases it.
Cancer Research UK is one of the major funders of bowel cancer research in the UK. Some people inherit faulty genes that increase their risk of bowel cancer, and our scientists have played a leading role in identifying these genes.
England, Scotland and Wales have launched national screening programmes for bowel cancer. Experts think this will save around 20,000 lives over the next twenty years.
Browse content about Bowel cancer
- Bowel (colorectal) cancer - UK incidence statistics
- Bowel cancer - histology
- Bowel cancer - screening and prevention
- Bowel cancer research
- Bowel cancer statistics - Key Facts
- Dr Abdolrahman Shams Nateri
- Dr Farhat Din
- MPs timely bowel cancer screening message targets World Cup fans
- Our impact on bowel cancer
- Our progress and achievements in the 1980s
- Prof Alan Clarke
- Prof Chris Paraskeva
- Prof Inke Näthke
- Prof John Primrose
- Prof Owen Sansom
- Prof Peter Sasieni
- Prof Trevor Dale
- Spot bowel cancer early
- Bowel (colorectal) cancer - UK mortality statistics
- Bowel cancer - risk factors
- Bowel cancer - survival statistics
- Bowel cancer screening
- Colorectal cancer
- Dr Doug Winton
- Incidence projections for selected cancers
- May 2010 podcast transcript
- Our policy on cancer screening
- Our progress and achievements in the 2000s
- Prof Caroline Dive
- Prof Ian Tomlinson
- Prof Jack Cuzick
- Prof Malcolm Dunlop
- Prof Paddy Johnston
- Prof Richard Houlston
- Prof Wendy Atkin
Latest Bowel cancer news from Cancer Research UK
- News story: Change4Life warns of cancer risk from drinking 'a little too much'
7 February 2012 - News story: Government launches bowel cancer campaign
30 January 2012 - News story: National audit shows bowel cancer care is improving
30 November 2011 - News story: Large study confirms fibre reduces bowel cancer risk
10 November 2011 - Press Release: Bowel, oesophageal and pancreatic cancers show biggest improvement in diagnosis time
8 November 2011 - News story: Aspirin 'should be recommended' to cut bowel cancer risk in people with inherited syndrome
28 October 2011 - News story: MRI scans help predict best treatment for rectal cancer
1 September 2011 - Press Release: Poor public awareness of bowel cancer
23 August 2011 - Press Release: Bowel cancer risk doubles for men
27 July 2011 - Press Release: New clues to how humble painkiller stifles cancer growth
26 May 2011
- News story: Research backs benefits of new bowel cancer test
31 January 2012 - Press Release: CRT spins out company to develop cancer surgery machine to melt tumours
26 January 2012 - Press Release: First patients enrolled in project to improve NHS cancer gene testing
21 November 2011 - Press Release: Bowel screening reduces cancer deaths by more than 25 per cent
9 November 2011 - Press Release: Poor men more likely to die from bowel cancer
6 November 2011 - News story: Strategy to conquer cancer drug resistance uncovered
9 September 2011 - Press Release: Scientists use diabetes drug in double hit to starve cancer cells
28 August 2011 - Press Release: GP letter in bowel screening kit improves uptake
10 August 2011 - News story: National bowel cancer audit shows continued progress
8 June 2011 - Press Release: New screening test more effective in left-side of bowel
25 May 2011
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