Bowel & Colorectal Cancer

Bowel & Colorectal Cancer at Oaks Hospital

What is bowel/colorectal cancer?

Bowel/colorectal cancer is cancer that begins in your large bowel. It can also be called colon cancer or rectal cancer depending on where the cancer starts. Most bowel cancers occur in the rectum.

Bowel and colorectal cancer usually develop from small growths on your bowel wall that are called polyps. Most polyps are harmless and are called benign. However, some polyps become cancerous over time and are known as malignant polyps.

Cancerous polyps start to grow quickly and in a strange way. They can grow not just on your bowel lining but into the deeper layers of your bowel wall and to your surrounding tissues including your lymph nodes nearby. If bowel/colorectal cancer advances further, it can spread to other parts of your body such as your liver and lungs. In most cases, bowel cancer grows slowly over many years.

Bowel cancer is categorised into stages that tell you where the cancer is and how far it has spread. Staging bowel/colorectal cancer will help your doctor to determine the best treatment.

As with all cancers, the sooner bowel cancer is detected and diagnosed the better your outcome and chance of survival. It is important to see a doctor as soon as possible if you have bowel/colorectal symptoms. Your doctor will recommend bowel/colorectal cancer tests to investigate your symptoms further.

Most people diagnosed with bowel/colorectal cancer are over the age of 60. Bowel cancer screening is offered on the NHS every two years if you are aged between 60 and 74. This age range is due to be extended to include people aged 50 to 59.

You're in control

Flexible payment options

to suit you

payment-plan-icon

0% Payment Plans

Spread the cost of your treatment with fixed, monthly payments over a time period to suit you.

Find out more
self-funding-icon

Self-funding Patients

We offer an alternative range of ways to pay, so you can choose which one best suits you and your finances.

Find out more
medical-insurance

Private Medical Insurance

Use your private medical insurance to fund your treatment through our simple referral process.

Find out more

Related Treatments

Cancer Screening

Detailed information about cancer screening tests at Ramsay which include bowel screening (colonoscopy), breast (mammography) & cervical cancer screening.

Find out more

Diagnostic Tests

Detailed information about diagnostic tests at Ramsay which include CT (X-rays) & MRI scans, ultrasounds, endoscopy, blood tests & PSA testing.

Find out more

Skin Cancer

Skin Cancer Treatment at Ramsay Health Care, including symptoms, types and treatments for different skin cancers.

Find out more

Latest from Oaks Hospital

Will Quince MP visits Oaks Hospital to see high quality healthcare in action

Will Quince, Conservative MP for Colchester and former Minister of State for Health recently visited Oaks Hospital in Colchester to see how Ramsay Health Care UK is delivering high quality healthcare for local patients.

Find out more

SACT Suite

On Tuesday 30th August Oaks Hospital hosted the official opening of its brand new SACT (Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy) unit, which offers oncology services to patients for a range of specialty areas including skin, gynaecology, urology and breast cancers in the local area.

Find out more

Oaks Hospital awarded by the National Joint Registry

Oaks Hospital is celebrating after being named as a National Joint Registry (NJR) Quality Data Provider after successfully completing a national programme of local data audits.

Find out more
Paying for yourself?

Get in touch

Need some advice on a treatment price or booking an initial appointment?

We're here to help.

BOOK ONLINE

Or send us a message...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.