Bowel Cancer UK's Quiz

Answer True or False to the Following Questions

Answers at bottom of page

Please go to Bowel Cancer UK's Website for more information

1. If diagnosed at the early stages, bowel cancer is highly treatable.

2. The bowel is also known as the colon or the large intestine.

3. 97% of people diagnosed with bowel cancer are under the age of 50.

4. Bleeding from the bottom can only be a sign of bowel cancer.

5. Bowel cancer kills more people in the UK every year than breast cancer.

6. Bowel screening is available to people aged 50-59 in England.

7. If one or more first degree relatives have bowel cancer there may be an increased risk.

8. Bowel cancer is the 3^rd most common cancer in the UK affecting 38,500 people each year.

9. Pains or lumps in the belly can be a sign of many things but not bowel cancer.

10. Most bowel cancers start from bowel polyps which have been left untreated.

11. Exercising every day greatly reduces the risk of many cancers including bowel cancer.

12. Drinking too much alcohol on a regular basis can increase the risk of cancers of the digestive tract.

13. Extreme tiredness could be a sign of bowel cancer and is due to anaemia from internal bleeding.

14. Women are more likely to develop bowel cancer than men.

15. Irritable bowel syndrome is a risk factor for bowel cancer.

Answers

1. True: the earlier the diagnosis, the easier bowel cancer is to treat.

2. True: the bowel is part of the digestive system; it absorbs water and processes waste.

3. False: 97% of people diagnosed with bowel cancer are over the age of 50.

4. False: bleeding from the bottom can be a sign of piles, fissures, ulcerative colitis or diverticulitis.

5. True: breast cancer kills around 12,000 people each year, while bowel cancer kills 16,000

6. False: bowel screening is available to 60-69 year olds in England and the over 70s can request.

7. True: it is more likely to be hereditary if one or more 1^st degree relatives have had it under 45

8. True: it is the 3rd most common after lung and prostate in men and 2^nd in most common after breast in women.

9. False: pains and lumps in the belly can be a sign of many things including bowel cancer.

10. True: polyps left to multiply or grow beyond a certain size are at risk of becoming cancerous.

11. True: research shows that the risk of bowel cancer is greatly reduced with regular exercise.

12. True: excess alcohol consumption has been linked to bowel cancer particularly in men.

13. True: bleeding inside the colon could cause anaemia which causes extreme tiredness.

14. False: one in 16 men and one in 20 women will develop bowel cancer in their lifetime.

15. False: IBS is not a risk factor but inflammatory bowel disease (colitis and Crohn’s) can be.