an enema to make sure the lower part of the bowel is empty.

taking laxatives to clear your upper bowel.

drinking clear fluids only the day before the examination.

eating a low fibre (roughage) diet for a day or so before the test to clear your bowel of any residue.

The preparation may vary but will usually include: It must be as empty as possible so that the doctor can get a clear view inside.

Whatever examination is used your bowel will need to be prepared. There are several ways which the doctor can examine your bowel.

There are a series of tests and investigations which can be done to confirm or rule out a diagnosis of colorectal cancer, and to find out whether the cancer has spread to other parts of your body. If your symptoms have lasted six or more weeks, including bleeding from the rectum, you need to see a specialist. You may also feel generally unwell, for example listless or tired, because you have been losing blood from the bowel and may have become anaemic (lack of red blood cells). You may feel a colicky type pain, or vague discomfort in your abdomen. This can be uncomfortable and you may constantly feel the urge to go to the toilet. A feeling that you haven't completely emptied your bowels is quite common if the tumour is in the rectum. There may be blood or mucus in the stools. There may be increasing constipation, or perhaps alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhoea. The commonest symptom of colorectal cancer is a change of bowel habits. Together, they account for 5% of bowel cancers.Ī history of severe ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease affecting the large bowel may also increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer. They are Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) and Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colon Cancer (HNPCC). There are two inherited conditions that can increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer. It has been suggested that a high alcohol intake, particularly of beer, may be linked to this cancer. However, studies have shown that the frequency of bowel cancer is greater in countries which eat a diet high in fat and low in fibre (roughage). Unfortunately we still know very little about the causes of cancer of the large bowel, also called colorectal cancer. Cancer in the large bowel is known as colorectal cancer. It is a hollow tube coiled up in your abdomen, divided into two parts: the small bowel and the large bowel (the colon and the rectum). The bowel is part of the digestive system stretching from the stomach to the anus.

Pencil stool causes