Most bowel cancers start as innocent growths – called polyps – on the wall of the bowel. Polyps are like smallspots or cherries on stalks and most do not produce symptoms. Polyps are more common as we get older and most polyps are not pre-cancerous. One type of polyp called an adenoma can, however, become cancerous (malignant). If left undetected, the cancer cells will multiply to form a tumour in the bowel, causing pain, bleeding and other symptoms. If untreated, the tumour can grow into the wall of the bowel or back passage.
Within this group of adenoma-related bowel cancers, there are one or two rare types of disease which do not seem to behave in quite the same way as these slow growing polyps. These uncommon types of bowel cancers develop and spread much more quickly, and seem to affect much younger people.
No comments:
Post a Comment