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Bowel cancer

Australia has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world. Each year, more than 16,000 Australians are diagnosed with bowel cancer.

Introduction

Many bowel cancers are detected at later, difficult to treat stages. If detected early, almost all cases of bowel cancer are curable. We are working to develop better early detection tests and to improve treatments for bowel cancer.

Developing intestinal buds with different colours highlighting the proteins involved in growth.
Above: Developing intestinal buds with different colours highlighting the proteins involved in growth. Understanding how these crypts and buds develop could help scientists understand what happens when bowel cancer develops.

Our bowel cancer research

Our bowel cancer scientists and clinicians are working to improve the detection and treatment of bowel cancer by:

  • Understanding the changes in healthy bowel cells that drive cancer formation.
  • Deciphering how cancer cells ‘communicate’ with their environment to promote tumour growth.
  • The role of bacterial infections and inflammation in cancer development.
  • Developing better ways to detect and treat early-stage bowel cancer, including through a blood test.
  • Discovering potential new treatments for bowel cancer.
  • Matching people with bowel cancer to the best treatment for their disease.
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