Powering progress in bowel cancer: Q&A with Emily Bowman
Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK. Research is improving diagnosis, treatment and care for people affected.
Over 40,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year. It is a leading cause of cancer death.
To mark Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, we are highlighting how research is making a difference. At University Hospital Southampton (UHS), patients are taking part in trials of personalised cancer vaccines as part of a major national programme.
We spoke to Emily Bowman from the Wessex Cancer Alliance to find out more.
What is bowel cancer?
Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, begins in the large bowel (colon) or rectum. It is the fourth most common type of cancer in the UK.
This cancer can develop slowly over several years, often from non-cancerous growths called polyps that can become cancerous over time.
The risk of developing bowel cancer depends on many factors, including:
- age
- family history
- diet and lifestyle factors
- genetic conditions such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), Lynch syndrome and other polyp syndromes
- long term (chronic) inflammatory bowel conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease
Why is research into bowel cancer important?
Research leads to improvements in prevention, early detection and treatment. This enhances survival rates and improves quality of life for patients.
Early detection of bowel cancer significantly improves treatment success rates. That’s why research is also focused on developing more accurate and accessible screening tools. The disease has a survival rate of over 90% in the early stages. Screening can also identify precancerous polyps, which can be removed before they turn cancerous.
Predictive genetic testing can indicate an increased risk of developing specific cancers. As testing insight and research develops, more tests will be routinely embedded into care pathways.
What current research is taking place at University Hospital Southampton?
Research is essential for developing new and effective treatments. This includes targeted therapies that can be tailored to individual patients based on their specific genetic makeup.
Immunotherapy harnesses the body’s immune system to fight cancer. Personalised cancer vaccines are a type of investigational immunotherapy. They are created by analysing a patient’s tumour and using that information to create a vaccine tailored to them.
The Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) was established in 2023 to support the rapid development of clinical trials of new vaccine technology. It is run by the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, and UHS is one of 55 sites across the UK. The goal is to create personalised treatments for cancer in partnership with industry and to spread access to these trials to patients across the country.
Over 3,000 patients have been screened since the CVLP launched. Around one in five of these patients consented to the CVLP and four in five consented patients were referred to the cancer vaccine clinical trial. 60% of patients in England undergoing colorectal surgery now have access to the trial. Find out more
How is the Wessex Cancer Alliance improving bowel cancer care?
Wessex Cancer Alliance collaborate with clinical leaders across primary and secondary care. Working together, we identify and pilot innovative approaches that will streamline referral pathways. This makes it as easy as possible to access diagnostic tests when needed.
Moving forward, the Alliance will be working with local systems to ensure emerging tests – such as Multi Cancer Blood Tests and Colon Capsule Endoscopy - are scaled and implemented at pace.
Alongside this, we work in partnership with communities and primary care to improve equity of awareness, access and uptake of bowel cancer testing. We also facilitate research into supportive care and quality-of-life improvements to ensure that people can live well after treatment.
Wessex Cancer Alliance recognise the impact innovation has on improving outcomes. We have worked closely with Health Innovation Wessex since 2020. We co-employ a programme manager who is helping to identify and bring the most impactful and proven ways of finding cancers to Wessex.
To read more about this work, please visit the Wessex Cancer Innovation programme webpage.
Further details of where our focus will be over the next five years can be found in the Wessex Cancer Strategy 2025-2030.
What are your hopes for the future of diagnosis, treatment and care?
I hope we can diagnose cancer earlier and faster. Emerging tools – including artificial intelligence and new types of tests - show great promise. They could help identify those at risk or showing early signs.
Genomic tests like the CVLP will remain key to improving patient treatment and monitoring outcomes. Combined with the growing adoption of different support methods throughout the cancer journey, this will improve both patient outcomes and experience for those living with and beyond with cancer.
Our approach supports the national shift - moving from sickness to prevention, from hospital to community and from analogue to digital.
Bowel cancer screening is offered to everyone aged 50 to 74. If you’re eligible, you will receive a home testing kit through the post every two years. This looks for traces of blood in your poo – one of the earliest signs of bowel cancer. More information about the national screening programme is available here.