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Bowel Cancer

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What is Bowel (Colorectal) Cancer?

“Colorectal” and “large bowel” are terms you may hear used when discussing the bowel.

The bowel is divided into four sections:

  • ascending
  • transverse
  • descending
  • sigmoid.
  • The bowel has no digestive function, but it absorbs large amounts of water and electrolytes, which help the maintenance of the body’s systems, known as homeostasis. Undigested food is passed on from the small bowel to the large bowel where water is re-absorbed.

    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.

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