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The Prevalence of Bowel Cancer and Other Disorders

Bowel cancer affects some 35,000 people a year in the UK, and despite being one of the easiest cancers to cure, of these people only half will still be living up to 5 years after diagnosis. The main reason for this is that very often diagnosis is left too late. The other is that, in comparison with other cancers such as breast, bowel cancer has not received the attention in terms of translational research .

Bowel problems by their very nature are embarrassing and usually kept quiet, despite causing an enormous amount of distress to the sufferer. Far too many people 'suffer in silence' the symptoms of, for example, faecal incontinence, a large proportion of whom are women who have suffered complications either during or some time after childbirth. The social and psychological effects on these individuals can be devastating.

In the UK alone, around 100,000 people each year, from new born babies to the elderly will need to be fitted with a colostomy (bag) as a result of surgery for bowel cancer, another bowel disease or disorder of function.

What is Bowel & Cancer Research?

Bowel & Cancer Research (B&CR) is a registered charity no. 1119105. It is a unique organisation with three principle aims. The first is to improve survival rates for bowel cancer sufferers through research into the spread and behaviour of cancer in specific patient populations. The second is to investigate the causes, effects and treatment of bowel disorders other than cancer which are currently poorly understood. The third is, through pioneering innovations in surgery, to improve the quality of life of patients suffering a range of bowel disorders who may otherwise need to rely upon a stoma(bag).

What does it do?

Operating out of the Centre for Academic Surgery at the Royal London Hospital (a centre of excellence in the field of bowel disorder), Bowel & Cancer Research permanently funds a custom designed clinical grade Colorectal Cancer Laboratory. It funds scientists and clinicians through the Saving Lives (bowel cancer research) and Changing Lives (non-cancer research/innovations in surgery) programmes. The charity is led by Professor Norman Williams, MB, MS, FRCS, FMedSci, a world renowned surgeon and pioneer in the field of bowel disorders.

Why Get Involved?

B&CR is a small charity with big ambitions. It occupies a unique place in the market, combining clinical, research and surgical innovation and excellence. The charity's leadership is second-to-none in the field in which it operates and with increased funding and recognition, its work can have a direct and positive impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Get Involved