How long is it before someone would present with bowel cancer?

This varies from person to person – these days, the sooner one brings this to the doctors attention, the sooner this can be looked at.

Recently a patient in the 70s who has been on holidays travelling around Australia presented to his local GP complaining of a change of bowel action. He was investigated and found to be severely anaemic. He was sent to the Emergency department as he has had increasing difficulty opening his bowels.

On examination, he was found to have a low rectal cancer on rectal examination. Further investigations showed that he has lung metastates.

He went on to have a resection and permanent stoma.