What is bowel Cancer?
The building blocks of the body are tiny cells, which normally repair and reproduce in a controlled process. With cancer, this process goes wrong and cells can divide and grow in an uncontrolled way, causing a lump – a tumour – on or within the part of the body affected. If this tumour contains cells that are able to invade neighbouring tissues or organs, it is known as malignant. If the tumour does not do this, it is termed benign.
A Bowel is short for two things: small bowel and large bowel. The small bowel is another name for the small intestine. The large bowel is another name for the large intestine. So, “bowel cancer” may refer to cancer of either the small or large intestine, or both. If it refers to cancer of the large intestine, then it is the same thing as colorectal cancer.
