Bowel Cancer | Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Bowel cancer is also known as colorectal cancer. This cancer develops from the inner lining of the intestines. GetWellGo will tell you about its symptoms & treatment.

Bowel Cancer | Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

  • Category

    Cancer

  • Published By

    GetWellGo Team

  • Updated on

    14-May-2025

Bowel Cancer Symptoms

Bowel cancer (or likewise known as colorectal cancer or colon cancer) may have a number of symptoms both during the early period of the disease. It is worth mentioning that the symptoms may differ in terms of location and size of a cancer and some people could have no symptoms to start with.

Early Signs of Bowel Cancer:

Change in bowel habits:

  • Persistent diarrhea or constipation
  • A change in the consistency of stool is also a discovery due to the fact that being constipated or suffering from diarrhoea is not synonymous with having Aids.
  • The sensation that the bowel is not fully relieved.

Blood in the stool:

  • Bright red or dark blood
  • May be accompanied with the stool or be present on toilet paper.

Abdominal discomfort:

  • Cramping, bloating, or pain
  • Fullness after eating a light meal.

Unexplained weight loss

Fatigue or weakness:

  • Usually because of bleeding and resulting in anemia

Mass or lump in the abdomen or rectum.

Unexplained iron-deficiency anemia:

  • In the elderly in particular, this may well be a quiet but significant pointer.

Bowel Cancer Treatment

Treatment for bowel cancer (or the so-called colorectal cancer) depends upon the stage of cancer, location (colon or rectum) and general health of a patient. A variety of treatments tend to be combined so that one gets the best outcome.

Main Treatment Options:

Surgery

  • Surgery of removing the cancerous part of the bowel is used extensively in treating the early-stage cancer.

Types include:

  • Polypectomy or local excision (for a very early stage of cancer using the colonoscopy)
  • Colectomy (the removal of part or all the colon).
  • Rectal resection (for rectal cancers)
  • Colostomy or ileostomy (temporarily or permanently necessary on occasions)

Chemotherapy

Used to:

  • Destroy cancer cells resulting from surgery, (adjuvant therapy).
  • Shrink tumors before going under the knife (neoadjuvant therapy)
  • Treat advanced or metastatic cancer
  • Common drugs: 5-FU, capecitabine, oxaliplatin, irinotecan

Radiation Therapy

  • Mostly used for rectal cancer
  • That can be used in combination with chemotherapy either pre- or post-operatively.

Targeted Therapy

  • Specific cancer cell mechanism drugs
  • Examples: bevacizumab (Avastin), cetuximab (Erbitux)
  • Popular in late or metastatic cancer

Immunotherapy

  • For some genetically advanced types of the bowel cancer with the microsatellite instability (MSI-high) or lack of the mismatch repair mechanism (dMMR)
  • Drugs: nivolumab, pembrolizumab

Causes of Bowel Cancer

Bowel cancer occurs when the cells proliferate in a colon or rectum in an uncontrolled manner. The majority of the cases occur in the form of benign polyps that can turn cancerous in later stages. Although the cause is not always clear, there are certain risk factors and lifestyle undertones that are highly connected to the development of the bowel cancer.

Major Causes & Risk Factors

Age

  • Common in individuals older than 50 years of age.
  • Risk increases significantly with age.

Family History & Genetics

  • It is a factor that increases the risk in case one has a close relative suffering from the bowel cancer.

Inherited conditions such as:

  • Lynch syndrome (HNPCC)
  • Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)

Personal History

History of:

  • Bowel polyps (especially adenomatous)
  • Inflammatory bowel diseases (examples such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease)

Diet & Lifestyle

High consumption of:

  • Red and processed meats
  • Low-fiber diets

Low intake of:

  • Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
  • Obesity and physical inactivity
  • Smoking
  • Excessive alcohol consumption

Type 2 Diabetes

  • Raises the likelihood of suffering from colorectal cancer.

Previous Cancer Treatment

  • Exposure to the abdomen /pelvis may pose risk later in life.

Is Bowel Cancer Curable?

Yes, bowel cancer can be curable, in the first place, if detected early. Chances of a cure will rest on various determining factors that will include stage of the cancer at onset, location of the tumor, and overall state of the patient.

Colon and Bowel Cancer

When the term “colon cancer“ is used in medicine, it is sometimes interchanged with “bowel cancer”, except that there are slight differences depending on the part of the digestive tract which is affected.

  • Bowel Cancer is the generic term for a malignant process that begins in the large intestine (in the colon and rectum).
  • Also known as colorectal cancer on the medical terms.
  • Colon Cancer: Arises at the upper portion on large bowel. Most common type.

Does Colon and Bowel Cancer Refer to One Condition?

  • Yes and no.
  • Colon cancer is one of the forms of bowel cancer.
  • Bowel cancer is the general term that may incorporate colon, as well as, rectal cancers.

Stage 4 Bowel Cancer Survival Rate

The survival rate in India for Stage 4 (metastatic) bowel cancer is usually relatively low when compared to early-stage interpretations. However, the developments in the treatment options have resulted in better outcomes in the case of some patients.

Survival rates for stages IV bowel cancer in India

  • 5-Year Survival Rate: Approximately 10% to 14%.
  • 3-Year Overall Survival: Approximately 22.8% for patients in which palliative intent was given.
  • Median Overall Survival: About 18.5 months for patients who are subjected to standard chemotherapy.

Best Treatment for Bowel Cancer

Best Bowel (Colorectal Cancer) Treatment: An Overview

The best bowel cancer treatment is given in accordance with the stage, colon or rectum and individual’s health factors. Multidisciplinary approach (surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists) guarantees the best result.

Best Treatments by Stage

Stage 0–I (Very Early Stage)

  • Surgery alone is usually curative.

Treatment:

  • Polypectomy (via colonoscopy)
  • Local excision or segmental colectomy

Stage II

  • Surgery to remove the tumor
  • Chemotherapy is an option thereafter in the presence of high-risk features such as poor differentiation, the invasion of lymphatics.

Stage III

  • Surgery that involves removal of the affected section of the bowel and the lymph nodes in the area.
  • Adjuvant chemotherapy (e.g., FOLFOX: 5-FU + leucovorin + oxaliplatin)

Stage IV (Advanced or Metastatic)

  • Combination therapy on the basis of spread (e.g. to liver or lungs)

Treatments may include:

  • Chemotherapy (FOLFOX, FOLFIRI)
  • Targeted therapy (e.g., Bevacizumab, Cetuximab)
  • Immunotherapy (like for example, Pembrolizumab for MSI-High tumors)
  • Surgery (if metastases are operable)
  • Palliative care (symptom management and maintenance of quality of life).

Bowel Cancer Surgery Recovery

Average Time of Recovery After Major Surgery

First Week

  • Hospital stay: 5–7 days (longer if complications)
  • IV fluids and pain management
  • Step-wise reintroduction of food (liquids -> soft diet)
  • Begin walking short distances

Weeks 2–6

  • Stitches or staples that are not dissolvable are removed
  • Bowel movements may be irregular
  • Fatigue and bloating are common
  • Do not engage in heavy lifting and other strenuous activity

Weeks 6–12

  • Slow resumption to normal diet and functions.
  • Bowel function stabilizes
  • The majority of patients return to normal activities and work that is not strenuous.

 

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