Monty Python star, 78, on the ‘messy’ test to detect cancer – colonoscopy

Cancer Research UK explains that colon cancer falls under the category of bowel cancer. The colon is the first part of the large bowel and is about five feet long with four sections. Cancer can develop in any one of these sections.

The parts of the colon are the as follows:

• Ascending colon – runs up the right side of the abdomen. It is connected to the small intestine by a section of bowel called the caecum
• Transverse colon – runs across the body from right to left, under the stomach
• Descending colon – runs down the left side of the abdomen
• Sigmoid colon – an “S-shaped” bend that joins the descending colon to the back passage.

As well as blood in your poo or diarrhoea, tumours in the colon can block the bowel, leading to a bowel obstruction. This can cause the following symptoms, which if noticed, should be a cause for concern:

• Cramping pains in the abdomen
• Feeling bloated
• Constipation and being unable to pass wind
• Being sick.

The NHS states that if you have been experiencing any of the above symptoms for three weeks or more it is vital you see your GP, who will examine your tummy, arrange for a blood test and maybe even arrange for a colonoscopy.