Bowel cancer symptoms: New hope for disease cure could save lives

BOWEL CANCER is the second biggest cancer killer in the UK - however experts say it is treatable and curable if it is diagnosed early.

Bowel cancer: Signs and symptoms to look out for

Surgery is the most common treatment for bowel cancer and central to curing the disease, however a charity has warned investment in surgical research is too low.

However now Bowel Cancer UK, in partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons of England, has announced £500,000 funding for bowel cancer surgical research and more trials for potential treatments.

Experts hope this will establish the UK’s first Colorectal Cancer Surgical Research Chair and establish a network of Bowel Cancer UK Colorectal Cancer Surgical Research Fellows.

The charity has argued investing in surgical research is crucial to develop more effective and personalised life-saving treatments.

Bowel cancer symptoms: Clinical trials are vital for improving outcomes for people with cancerGETTY

Bowel cancer symptoms: Clinical trials are vital for improving outcomes for people with cancer

They also hope it will standardise surgery and care for patients regardless of where they live and minimise side-effects for everyone who has an operation.

Bowel cancer has been linked to diet, smoking and ageing - with the disease being more common among those over the age of 60.

Experts hope that by alerting people to the symptoms of the condition, which include bleeding from the bottom, a change in bowel habits, abdominal pain and weight loss, patients can be treated as early as possible.  

Deborah Alsina MBE, chief executive of Bowel Cancer UK, said: “We’re thrilled to be working in partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons for our first investment in bowel cancer surgical research.

Bowel cancer symptoms: The money can help fund new clinical trials and might lead to a cureGETTY

Bowel cancer symptoms: The money can help fund new clinical trials and might lead to a cure

Clinical trials are vital for taking potential treatment developments from research ideas to translating them into new drugs

“This funding forms a key part of our new five year research strategy, which will be published later this year.

“Clinical trials are vital for taking potential treatment developments from research ideas to translating them into new drugs, diagnostic tests and surgical treatments for patients.

“Over the years surgical clinical trials have had a huge impact on improving the outcomes for people with bowel cancer.

“Most recently, we have seen great advances in using drugs and surgery in combination to help shrink the tumours to a size that makes surgery more likely to be effective at curing patients.

Bowel cancer symptoms: Clinical trials are vital for improving outcomes for people with cancerGETTY

Bowel cancer symptoms: Clinical trials are vital for improving outcomes for people with cancer

“Only surgical clinical trials offer us the evidence to know this is safe and effective.”

Professor Dion Morton, Director of Clinical Research at the Royal College of Surgeons, said: “At a time when there are 100 new cases of bowel cancer in the UK every day, this funding could not come soon enough.

“Clinical trials are the bedrock of high quality medicine, and provide the best opportunity for making improvements in bowel cancer care.

“This funding will support the development of new studies so patients will be able to access innovative surgical techniques, combined with the best perioperative care for the best patient outcomes.

“Through these clinical trials, surgeons will learn more about the safety and effectiveness of new bowel cancer surgery techniques and how best to select patients for these treatments.”  

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