I’m a colorectal cancer surgeon… and here are FIVE things you can do to reduce your risk of bowel cancer

Bowel cancer has been catapulted into the spotlight in recent years.

Not only have there been a number of high profile deaths — such as influencer Dame Deborah James — a series of studies have warned that the disease is hitting more and more young people.  

Incidences of the disease, which kills 17,000 per year in the UK, have risen by 22 per cent in the under 50s over the course of the last 30 years. 

The spate of early-onset cases has led people to question if there’s anything they can do to stop the disease happening in the first place. 

As a colorectal cancer surgeon, I can tell you the answer is, yes — plenty.

In fact, it’s thought that more than half of cases in the UK are preventable.

So what can you do to stop the disease, before it stops you? Here, I outline five key actions you can, and should, take now to slash your risk.

Eat an apple a day…and spoonfuls of spinach 

We all know that eating fruit and veg is an essential part of a healthy diet because they contain vitamins and minerals.

But taking in the fibre they contain is the single most important thing you can do to prevent colorectal cancer.

According to data from Cancer Research UK, one in three colorectal cancers can be linked with eating too little fibre.

Fibre in our diet helps us to use the toilet more often, which means harmful chemicals spend less time in the bowel.

You can get the recommended 30g of fibre per day from your five-a-day, but a bowl of porridge, two slices of wholemeal bread and half a tin of chickpeas will also help you reach the goal.

Some fruit and veg are higher in fibre than others; choose apples, bananas, spinach and broccoli.

Where possible, stick to wholegrain versions of carbohydrates, like brown pasta, rice and bread.

Diets high in these types of high fibre foods have long been associated with a lower-than-average risk of developing the disease.

Bowel cancer can cause you to have blood in your poo, a change in bowel habit, a lump inside your bowel which can cause an obstructions. Some people also suffer with weight loss a s a result of these symptoms

Experts are concerned about a mysterious rise of cases in younger people as around 100 younger people a day – 35,000 a year – are now being diagnosed with cancers more commonly seen in older people, such a bowel cancer

Steer clear of salami…and don’t grill your sausages  

Fry-ups and BBQs are off the menu if you want to minimise your cancer risk.

Sausages, bacon, salami, chorizo, ham and hot dogs are all examples of processed meats that are known to increase the risk of colorectal cancer. 

Processed meat is any product that has been treated to increase its shelf life or taste better. 

This is often done by adding chemical preservatives such as nitrates. 

These chemicals react in the gut to produce other compounds called N-nitrosos, which damage the bowel lining and promote the formation of tumours.

Sausages, bacon, salami, chorizo, ham, hot dogs are all examples of processed meats, are one of the foods known to increase cancer risk

Eating more than 70g of red meat a day increases your risk of bowel cancer by five per cent, according to a study by researchers at University of Oxford in 2019. 70g is the equivalent to two slices of bacon or half a burger.

The NHS recommends eating no more than two portions of processed red meat a week.

You should be aware of how you cook your meat too. Grilling meat could make the food even riskier. 

Cooking meat on high heat such as a grill or barbecue can create heterocyclic amines and polycyclic amines, which are chemicals that also damage the bowel.

Ideally you should cut your risk by swapping pork, lamb and beef for fish and chicken.

And if you really can’t live without that summer barbecue treat, make your burger buns wholemeal, add in lots of vegetables and consider non-meat, chicken or fish as an alternative to red meat.

Staying active reduces your risk of bowel cancer

People who exercise several times per week are known to have a 20 per cent reduced risk of colorectal cancer. 

There’s several reasons for this.

Firstly, just like eating fibre, exercise also helps to move chemicals through our bowel faster, meaning anything harmful we eat spend less time in the bowel.

Being active helps you to maintain a healthy weight which lowers risk of colorectal cancer. 

Obesity causes the level of growth hormones in the body to rise, which then causes cells to divide more often. 

Each of these additional divisions represents another potential chance for cancer cells to appear, increasing the odds of getting the disease.

In fact, having a BMI of more than 30 increases your risk of colorectal cancer by 11 per cent compared to being a healthy weight (BMI 20 to 25). 

Smoking is linked to 7 per cent of colorectal cancer and alcohol to 6 per cent

One bottle of wine is as cancer-causing as 10 cigarettes — so ditch both

Drinking any form of beer, wine or spirit increases your risk of mouth, upper throat, larynx, oesophagus, breast, liver and bowel cancer.

But smoking is even worse. It’s the biggest cause of cancer in the UK, and worldwide and increases the risk of 16 different types of cancer. 

Smoking is linked to 7 per cent of colorectal cancer and alcohol to 6 per cent. 

Both these habits are not only expensive but also bad for your health in a number of other very significant ways. 

Alcohol, when absorbed into the body, stops your cells from repairing damage, Cancer Research UK says. 

It can also affect the chemical signals that can make cells more likely to divide and, as a result, increases the initial chances of tumours developing.

In fact, a 2019 statistical analysis published in BMC Public Health suggests drinking a bottle of wine a week is the equivalent of a smoking up to 10 cigarettes in the same period in terms of cancer risk. 

Cigarettes contain more than 5,000 chemicals and at least 70 of them are thought to cause cancer. 

It’s these chemicals that damage our DNA, including the parts that protect us against cancer. 

It is never too late to get health benefits from stopping smoking, and you are more likely to quit successfully if you get help from your GP or pharmacist.

In 2022 the NHS revealed a record number of people in England were having bowel cancer checks after the death of Deborah James (pictured). The campaigner, columnist and podcast host died of bowel cancer in June 2022, aged 40, after raising £7.5million for her BowelBabe fund for Cancer Research UK 

Running to the loo? Go to your GP ASAP 

Catching symptoms early — such as bleeding from your bottom, bloating, losing weight without trying, tummy pain and changes in your bowel movements — could be life-saving. 

If you find yourself rushing to the loo with watery or irregular toilet trips go to your GP. 

Rectal bleeding is a red flag that you must get checked out. 

Even if you don’t have symptoms, you may be asked to do a poo test when you reach your 50s as part of the NHS bowel cancer screening programme. It is a good idea to complete it, and to also encourage your friends and family to do the same.

For the at home test, called a faecal immunochemical test (FIT), you need to collect a small sample and send it to a lab. It’s then checked for tiny amounts of blood.

If your test is positive, you will be invited for a colonoscopy where doctors can find your cancer early before symptoms start. Doctors may also find and remove polyps, preventing them from growing into colorectal cancer. 

In 2022 the NHS revealed a record number of people in England were having bowel cancer checks followinng the death of Deborah James.

The campaigner, columnist and podcast host died of bowel cancer in June 2022, aged 40, after raising £7.5million for Cancer Research UK.

Her premature death was a huge and devastating loss to the nation. 

We can honour her memory by changing our lifestyles to help prevent cancer, and also following the one piece of advice she repeated time and time again: check your poo.