March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month. Perhaps now more than ever before we need to be mindful of our health. The last 12 months has been particularly difficult for everybody and our priorities have often been elsewhere.

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We have seen from the statistics that have been published and the newspaper headlines that many people have been unable to access services which has led to delays to diagnosis and even cancellation of colorectal cancer treatments.

 

Colorectal cancer is a disease that can be treated successfully if caught early and treated in a timely manner. If you have noticed any symptoms or signs that you are concerned with such as bleeding from the back passage, a change in bowel habit (in particular diarrhoea), weight loss, abdominal pain or an abdominal lump, a lump in the back passage or anaemia, then it is imperative that you speak with your GP or visit an accredited specialist for further investigation and exclusion of colorectal cancer.

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Fortunately there are now a number of good diagnostic tests which can provide a good risk assessment of whether you may have something sinister such as bowel cancer. This includes stool sample analysis called faecal immunochemical tests (FIT). There are also gold standard tests such as colonoscopy that will be able to confirm or exclude the diagnoses.

 

In our practice we offer the latest treatments for colorectal cancer including minimally invasive surgery through laparoscopy surgery or robotic surgery. We work in a world leading multidisciplinary team of oncologists, radiologists and pathologists, and we will be with you through your journey from beginning to end.

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Stay safe,

Manish Chand