What is bowel cancer?
Bowel cancer is abnormal cell growth in the bowel that usually starts in the lining of the organ. It can come after the development of growths called polyps. These are small balls of tissue that sometimes form in various parts of a person’s body, including the bowel. Bowel cancer usually affects people over the age of 50 and is often diagnosed through a colonoscopy. This involves a doctor inserting a flexible tube into the anus, allowing them to inspect the tissue in someone’s bowel. At this time they also take a small tissue sample, which is inspected under a microscope to look for signs of cancer.