If you've been diagnosed with bowel cancer, knowing the stage of the cancer will help your treatment team give the best treatment options for you.
What is bowel cancer staging?
Based on your test results, the treatment team will give the cancer a stage between 1 and 4.
Bowel cancer staging tells you the cancer's size and if it has spread to other parts of your body.
The treatment you will be offered for lung cancer will be based on the stage of the cancer, as well as your general health.
| Stage | What it means |
| Stage 1 | Cancer is in the inner lining of the bowel |
| Stage 2 | Cancer has spread to the outer layers of the bowel wall |
| Stage 3 | Cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes |
| Stage 4 | Cancer has spread to other parts of the body, such as the liver or lungs |
After a diagnosis
If your test results show cancer, this can be a difficult time, and feelings can change from one moment to the next.
Everyone reacts differently when they learn they have cancer. There is no right or wrong way to feel.
Talk about your treatment options with your doctor, family and friends. Ask for as much information as you need. It is up to you how involved you want to be in decisions about your treatment.
Prognosis for bowel cancer
The prognosis is the likely outcome of a disease.
If the test results show bowel cancer, you may wish to speak with your treatment team about the prognosis.
The doctors will look at the type and stage of the cancer as well as your age and general health to give a prognosis, but no doctor can predict the exact outcome for you.
Doctors use a number of tests to diagnose bowel cancer.
We are here to help and support you and your whānau through cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery…
Bowel cancer is treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation treatment and targeted treatments.
Cancer can impact not only your health but your lifestyle and relationships.
We know that going through cancer is tough and can raise many questions. You are not alone.
We have health professionals to answer your questions and provide the support you need.
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