April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, here we have shared with you information from Bowel Cancer UK to help to raise awareness.

Bowel cancer is also referred to as colorectal or colon cancer. Nearly all bowel cancers develop in the large bowel – two-thirds of these are in the colon and one-third in the rectum.

Most bowel cancers develop from polyps which are usually non-cancerous and, once detected, can be removed easily if caught early enough.

The bowel is divided into the small bowel (small intestine) and the large bowel (colon and rectum).

Cancer of the small bowel is rare with only just over 700 people diagnosed in the UK each year.

The bowel is divided into four sections:

• ascending
• transverse
• descending
• sigmoid

The bowel is part of our digestive system. Food passes from the stomach to the small bowel. After the small bowel takes nutrients into the body, any undigested food passes through the large bowel, where water is removed from the waste matter. This waste matter is held in the rectum (back passage) until it leaves the body as bowel motions (also known as stools or faeces).

Cancer occurs when cells in your bowel multiply out of control. These cells can invade surrounding tissue and spread to other parts of the body.

For further information please contact Bowel Cancer UK

http://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/understanding-bowel-cancer/what-is-bowel-cancer/

For patients with Faecal Incontinence, there is a new treatment now available in the UK called Secca Therapy and here at Fico Centre we arrange out-patient appointments for this minimally invasive procedure.  Call Karen on 0844 561 6606 if you have any questions and have a look at our website for further information.