Preventing bowel cancer

There is no shortage of recommendations about how to prevent bowel cancer: more fibre, less meat, vitamin supplements and even medicines feature in the long list of suggestions that have been propagated for years. We have studied the latest evidence to see how much scientific support there now is for these common recommendations.

The result: Most people do not need to worry about getting bowel cancer. Even though there is not always strong scientific evidence about the effects on bowel cancer itself, general health advice to get enough exercise and avoid getting overweight apply here as well.

There is no strong evidence showing that recommendations like extra fibre, vitamin supplements and other dietary supplements provide protection from bowel cancer. Calcium supplements and some medicines are still under study.

Table of contents

  1. Background: Bowel cancer
    1. What can be done about bowel cancer today?
    2. The bowel
    3. Bowel cancer takes years to develop
    4. What are the typical symptoms?
  2. Measures for preventing bowel cancer
    1. Bowel cancer in the family
    2. How do people cope with the worry?
  3. Can bowel cancer be prevented?
    1. How sure can we be about the advice that is common now?
    2. Probably over-estimated: Fibre
    3. Calcium supplements might help
    4. Misplaced hope: Vitamin and antioxidant supplements
    5. Too soon to be sure: Selenium
    6. The search for effective medicines
    7. Reduced risk of bowel cancer, but the cancer might be more aggressive: Hormone therapy
    8. No effect shown against bowel cancer: Statins
    9. What can we expect for the future?
  4. Sources

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  • Last update: July 30th 2007 15:18
  • Created (German version): November 30th 2005 00:00
  • History: Show list

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