Bowel Cancer rates have risen sharply since the 1980s.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer and the second deadliest in Australia, with around 14,900 people diagnosed each year. Approximately 1 in 16 Australians expected to develop the disease in their lifetime.
While bowel cancer risk increases with age, rates among younger adults worldwide have skyrocketed by 266% since the 1980s. Today there are around 1 in 10 cases occurring in people under the age of 50, making it the leading cause of cancer death among young Australian adults aged 25–54.
While screening and early detection remain vital as 99% of cases are successfully treated when detected at the earliest stage, emerging research underscores the powerful protective effects of whole food plant-based nutrition and other lifestyle factors in reducing bowel cancer risk. Yet many health professionals report limited training and low confidence in providing structured nutrition and lifestyle counselling for bowel cancer risk reduction.
Lower your bowel cancer risk
You can reduce your bowel cancer risk by:
- quitting smoking
- being active, aiming to do at least 30 minutes of activity most days
- enjoying a healthy diet centred around wholegrains, legumes, and vegetables while limiting processed meat consumption
- limiting alcohol
- maintaining a healthy body weight
Know the signs and symptoms
Bowel screening can spot the early signs of bowel cancer before you notice signs or symptoms. Screening is the best way to find bowel cancer early. However, many people with bowel cancer do notice some signs or symptoms. Bowel cancer symptoms and signs can include:
- blood in your poo or in the toilet bowl
- a change in your toilet habits that doesn’t go away for more than 3 weeks. This can include looser poos, severe constipation and/or if you need to poo more often than usual
- unexplained tiredness or weight loss
- stomach pain
If you notice any of these, it is important that you speak to your GP straight away.
