Bowel cancer (also called colorectal cancer) is a cancer that starts in the lining of the large bowel — either the colon (the longer, winding section) or the rectum (the last part, close to your back passage). It affects around 1 in 14 Australians in their lifetime. In the vast majority of cases, it develops very slowly — typically from a small growth called a polyp that gradually changes over many years. This slow progression is actually good news: it means there are many opportunities to detect and treat it before it becomes serious. When found early, bowel cancer is often completely curable.
If you have received a worrying test result, been told a cancer might be present, or are here because something does not feel right — please take a breath. You are doing the right thing by finding out more, and there is a great deal that can be done.
Some things that increase your risk of bowel cancer include: being over 50 years old, having a personal or family history of bowel cancer or polyps, having inflammatory bowel disease (such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis), eating a lot of processed or red meat and not much fibre, being overweight, being physically inactive, smoking, and drinking a lot of alcohol. Certain inherited conditions — such as Lynch syndrome and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) — significantly raise your risk, and your family members may need to be screened too. Having risk factors does not mean you will get bowel cancer — and not having them does not mean you are completely protected. That is why screening matters for everyone.
Bowel cancer can cause: a change in your bowel habits that lasts more than a few weeks (going more often, looser stools, or new constipation), blood in your stools or on the toilet paper, abdominal pain or cramping, a feeling that your bowel does not empty fully, unexplained weight loss, or tiredness that turns out to be from low iron. It is important to say: many early bowel cancers cause no symptoms at all. This is exactly why screening — even when you feel completely fine — is so important and so valuable.
Australia has a free national screening program called the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP). If you are aged 45–74, you will be sent a free home testing kit every two years. The test is called a faecal occult blood test (FOBT) — it checks for tiny amounts of blood in your stool that you would not normally be able to see. If your result comes back positive, this does not automatically mean cancer — but it does mean you need a colonoscopy soon to find out what is causing it. Please do not ignore a positive result. If you have a family history of bowel cancer, speak to your GP about whether you should be screened earlier or more frequently than the standard program.
Confirming a diagnosis starts with a colonoscopy — a camera examination of the inside of your bowel — where a small sample of tissue (a biopsy) is taken for analysis. Once a cancer is confirmed, a CT scan of your chest, abdomen, and pelvis is done to check whether the cancer has spread anywhere else in your body (this is called staging). For rectal cancers — cancers in the last section of your bowel — an MRI of the pelvis gives detailed information about the exact size and position of the cancer, which is essential for planning treatment. Staging tells your team a great deal about the right treatment path and helps predict your outlook.
For most bowel cancers, the main treatment is surgery to remove the affected part of the bowel. For cancers in the colon (the upper section), surgery is most often done laparoscopically — using small keyhole incisions, a camera, and fine instruments — which means a faster recovery and less time in hospital. Robotic-assisted surgery is also available for suitable patients. For cancers in the rectum (the lower section, close to your back passage), chemotherapy and radiotherapy are sometimes given first to shrink the cancer before surgery. Your treatment will be planned and coordinated by a whole team — called a multidisciplinary team (MDT) — made up of surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, and pathologists. You will never just be one person's patient; there is a whole group of specialists working together on your behalf.
Mr Nguyen performs laparoscopic and robotic-assisted bowel cancer surgery at Warringal Private Hospital and Epworth Eastern, and uses a minimally invasive (keyhole) approach wherever possible for a faster, easier recovery. Every case is discussed at a multidisciplinary team meeting — bringing together oncology, radiology, pathology, and surgery — so that your treatment plan is thorough, coordinated, and tailored to you. Mr Nguyen and his team believe that clear, honest communication throughout your journey — from the first appointment through to recovery — is just as important as the surgery itself. You and your family will always know what is happening and why.
Please do not wait if you have noticed a change in your bowel habits that has lasted more than a few weeks, any unexplained rectal bleeding, or if you have received a positive FOBT result. These symptoms are not always cancer — but they always deserve a proper assessment. Getting checked promptly is the kindest thing you can do for yourself.
Your GP will refer you to Mr Nguyen, who will see you promptly — urgent referrals are triaged accordingly. At the consultation, Mr Nguyen will review your history and any investigations already done, arrange staging scans and a colonoscopy if not yet performed, and discuss the findings clearly with you. Treatment planning involves a multidisciplinary team where relevant, and you will always be fully involved in the decisions about your care. Most bowel cancers are treated with curative intent.
Survival depends a great deal on when the cancer is found. At Stage I (very early), around 90% of people are still alive five years later. At Stage II, it is 70–80%. Stage III (spread to nearby lymph nodes) is 40–70%, and Stage IV (spread to other organs) varies but is improving with modern treatments. These numbers can feel confronting — but they also show clearly why earlier detection makes such a difference.
Most bowel cancer operations do not result in a permanent bag. In some situations — particularly for cancers very low in the rectum — a temporary stoma (bag) may be needed for a period during your recovery, and in a smaller number of cases a permanent stoma is required. Mr Nguyen will discuss this with you clearly and honestly before any surgery, so you know exactly what to expect.
In most cases, bowel cancer is not strongly hereditary. But about 5–10% of cases are linked to an inherited condition such as Lynch syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis. If you have been diagnosed, your close family members (parents, brothers, sisters, children) have a higher risk than the general population and should speak to their GP about screening. Mr Nguyen can advise you on whether genetic testing or specialist referral is recommended for your family.
You can significantly reduce your risk by: taking part in the free national screening program (NBCSP), attending colonoscopy when it is recommended, maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active, eating less processed and red meat and more fibre, and not smoking. None of these are guarantees — but they all genuinely help.
If you or someone you care about has concerns about bowel cancer, Mr Ba Nguyen's team is here to help. He consults at his rooms in Heidelberg and operates at Warringal Private Hospital and Epworth Eastern, Box Hill. A GP or specialist referral is needed to make an appointment.