It often develops from a polyp, which is a non-cancerous growth on the inner wall of the large intestine or rectum. The tendency for polyps to become cancerous depends on a number of factors and may also be inherited.
Symptoms include a change in your normal bowel movements and you may see blood in your stools, or feel that you haven’t finished after a bowel movement.
Diagnosis is usually made by colonoscopy, where it is possible to take a sample of tissue to confirm the findings. This may have been preceded by a CT scan.
Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and these will be discussed with you when all the information is available regarding the type and extent of the cancer.