The month of June is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month in Australia.   Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer in Australia, with an estimated 15,000 people diagnosed each year. 1 in 21 men and 1 in 30 women will develop bowel cancer before they turn 75. Whilst it’s more common in people over 50, you could be any age. Bowel cancer can be in any part of the large bowel – in your colon or in your rectum – and is sometimes referred to as colorectal, colon or rectal cancer. You can also get cancer of the small bowel but this is usually quite rare and referred to small bowel or small intestine cancer.   Symptoms   During the earlier stages, people with bowel cancer may not experience any symptoms, whilst others will. Some of the symptoms that could be experienced, include: Blood in faeces or present on toilet paper after wiping Bowel habits change, you may experience the need to go more frequently, diarrhoea or constipation The faeces themselves may change in shape, consistency or colour Unexplained weight loss Weakness and fatigue Pain or lumps in the anus or rectum Abdominal pain or swelling Anaemia (low red blood cells) Feeling full or bloated, in your stomach or a strange sensation in your nether regions.   Where can I find more information?   Cancer Council’s information on Bowel Cancer is quite extensive, covering the following areas: Symptoms Screening Diagnosis Treatment After treatment If bowel cancer returns Advanced bowel cancer Questions for your doctor Prevention   You can also search here on the Online Community, there are many stories and experiences that have been shared by members over the years that may well resonate with you. Alternatively, start a new topic and share your own story or ask questions!   We also have some publications that may assist, available in PDF and Epub formats. EPub are great for loading up on your kindle or other ereading device. Understanding bowel cancer In PDF format In EPub format Emotions and cancer In PDF format In EPub format If you would like a printed hard copy of the above or any of our other publications, please call 13 11 20.   You may also like to read this Cancer Council blog post about Bowel Cancer: Bowel Cancer: what are the facts? And to find out about the National Bowel Cancer screening program, head here.   Where can I find support?   You can find a lot of support right here in the Online Community!   Have a look around, maybe use our search up the top to find what you’re looking for, browse through the different forum sections and blogs, start a new topic to share your experiences so far or to ask any burning questions you might have. This is a safe place for you.   If you're newly diagnosed, talking to someone who has been through a similar cancer experience can be incredibly helpful. If you think that speaking to someone one-to-one would be of interest, take a look at our Cancer Connect program. This vital service is provided by our Cancer Connect peer support volunteers. Our Connect volunteers have all recovered from their own cancer experiences and have been specially trained by Cancer Council to provide peer support via the telephone. They are also supported by a team of health professionals, employed by Cancer Council.   Our Telephone Support Groups are a great way to get support by talking over the phone with people in a similar situation. Whilst we do not currently run one specifically for bowel cancer, we do have one for people with Advanced Cancer and also one for Carers that may be of interest.   Our Webinars are a fantastic source of support and information, covering a large range of topics. A webinar is an online seminar, which you can watch on your computer or mobile device. There are new ones coming up all the time and you can view all the recordings of past webinars.   13 11 20   Please remember that you may contact us on 13 11 20 to ask questions or find out more about anything mentioned here.   The 13 11 20 support and information service is open Monday to Friday during business hours and is staffed by a knowledgeable team of health professionals. ... View more

Did you miss out on our last email newsletter? Never fear, we've included it below for you!      Welcome to the May edition! Welcome to the latest edition of our Online Community news, we hope you are all keeping warm as the weather cools down.   We've seen a number of interesting discussions taking place in the Forums which has been fantastic to see. Please don't be afraid to jump in with a comment on any of the topics or to post a new topic, asking a question of your own.   And for something a little more light-hearted, why not join in on our word game?   The waiting...   A discussion in our forums that has struck a chord with many over the last few months, is about waiting.   "I feel like I'm spending my life waiting....just waiting... for it to come back or for it to be far enough behind me to be confident it's not coming back. Does everyone feel like this?"   We understand that waiting can be a difficult time. Have you experienced this? How are you dealing with or how have you dealt with this period?   Get support Did you know that we have links to a number of support resources available for you via the Online Community?   These include talking to someone who has experienced cancer themselves and telephone support groups. In the coming months, we will be adding Online Support Groups for the discussion of specific cancers.   If you have any suggestions or interest in an online support group, please do not hesitate to contact us.   Healthy Living after Cancer Getting back to a healthy lifestyle after cancer is one of the most important things you can do for your health.   Our Healthy Living after Cancer program offers free health coaching over the phone, with experienced health consultants. The program can help you get active, eat better and feel better, so that you can do more of the things that are important to you.Getting back to a healthy lifestyle after cancer is one of the most important things you can do for your health. You can register your interest in the program here.   Alternatively, you can ask any questions you may have about healthy eating or getting active in our Healthy Living forum.   With warm regards, Kate and the Online Community team ... View more