A really important symptom to look out for is new rectal bleeding when you pass a bowel movement. But anyone can buy a home testing kit if they’re concerned.
It’s not certain why, but fibre has protective effects against bowel cancer.
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Bowel cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in Australia, and some cases could potentially be avoided. Here’s how.
A study of drinking water sourced from groundwater in areas of intensive farming and horticulture found nitrate levels are already high and rising.
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Mike Joy, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Michael Baker, University of Otago
Nitrate in drinking water has been linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer. That could have implications for some parts of New Zealand where nitrate levels are high.
Bowel cancer was the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia in 2017.
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Stephanie Harrison, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute; Azmeraw Amare, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute; Jyoti Khadka, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute; Maria Carolina Inacio, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute; Sarah Bray, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute, and Tiffany Gill, University of Adelaide
As you age, your body deteriorates and your risk of disease and injury increases. Here’s a decade by decade guide to what you’re up against – and what you can do about it.
Many cancer patients have chemotherapy after surgery, but not all of them actually need it.
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Jeanne Tie, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research)
We have no reliable way of knowing which patients’ cancer will return after surgery, so often chemotherapy is given to mop up any remaining cancer cells that may have gone undetected.
What trends might emerge when we map cancer incidence and mortality rates across Australia?
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A colonoscopy is usually done to diagnose bowel cancer. It is an invasive procedure with risks such as bowel perforation. It’s important to only have the test if you’re likely to benefit.
We only know if a cancer has been cured in hindsight.
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A cancer is in remission when it can no longer be detected. But we only say it’s cured when it hasn’t come back for a certain time – and that differs for different cancers.
Many people aren’t aware of the long-term risks alcohol poses to health.
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The growing list of alcohol-related diseases includes bowel cancers, mouth and oesophageal cancers, breast cancers, heart disease, respiratory infections and mental health problems.
The researchers looked at cancer occurrence in those exposed to higher intakes of ultra-processed foods, compared to lower intakes.
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The study showed that every 10% increase in consumption of ultra-processed food was linked to a 12% increase in developing some types of cancers. But it didn’t show the processed food caused cancers.
Liquid biopsy is less invasive than standard biopsy, where a needle is put into a solid tumour to confirm a cancer diagnosis.
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Peter Gibbs, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research)
There are currently few effective and non-invasive methods to screen for early stages of cancer. But scientists have now developed a new blood test that promises to detect eight different cancers.
We’ve known for over three decades that cancer risk increases with alcohol consumption.
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Obesity is linked with a host of health outcomes. Both a disease itself and a risk factor linked to many others, we explore the linkages between obesity and cancer.
I recently had a colonoscopy, an invasive medical procedure to examine the bowel, and was hugely relieved to get the all-clear. I posted a description of my experience to my friends on Facebook and got…