Bowel cancer

Bowel cancer is also known as colorectal cancer. This is a general term applied to cancers occurring anywhere within the colon (large bowel or intestine) or the rectum (back passage). 

In order to decide the best treatment for your particular cancer you will have various tests to find out the size and position of the cancer, and whether it has spread. This process is called ‘staging.’ The final, and most reliable ‘staging’ of the cancer can only be known after an operation (if appropriate), when a section of bowel has been removed and analysed by a consultant histopathologist.