Colorectal Cancer - A Conversation with Mr Damian McKay, Consultant General & Colorectal Surgeon

23rd, Mar 2023

As March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, we sat down with one of our resident Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeons, Mr Damian McKay, to talk about colorectal cancer, the importance of diet on bowel health and what the future holds.

Hi Damian, could you tell us, firstly, what your areas of expertise are?

Colorectal Cancer is my main area of clinical interest. I chose this area of surgery to specialise in as I find it the most challenging part of General Surgery. The type of surgery can be complex and interesting. I enjoy using keyhole / laparoscopic surgery which allows us to work with small incisions and is minimally invasive to achieve excellent outcomes for patients.

What interests you the most in your line of work?

Taking patients on the journey from assessing their symptoms to investigation and reassurance or where required surgery, and hopefully a successful recovery.

Are you seeing any changes in the way patients take care of their gut health over the years?

Social Media has certainly raised awareness of colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and IBS. With this improved awareness, patients are more likely to seek help if they see changes in their gut health.

What are common signs one should look out for when worried about Colorectal Cancer?

A number of common signs are:

Change in bowel habits particularly to looser stools which persist for four weeks or more
Bleeding from the back passage
Blood mixed in with stool
Pain in the abdomen
Unexplained tiredness

Are there any particular trends in terms of causes for colorectal cancer or related diseases you’re seeing recently?

One of the more concerning trends is the number of younger people being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. It is unclear why this trend is taking place.

What are the treatment options you provide for those who are diagnosed?

Most confirmed diagnoses are made at the time of a colonoscopy or CT Colonoscopy. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment and is often very successful. Unfortunately, in some advanced cases surgery is not an option. In these cases, patients may be treated with chemotherapy. There have been great advancements in the types of chemotherapy drugs used and in other techniques used to treat more advanced disease and many patients with advanced disease now live significantly longer than 10 or 20 years ago.

Are there any advancements being made in the detection or treatment of colorectal cancer and related issues?

The greatest leap, in terms of detecting colorectal cancer in patients with symptoms in the general population, is the use of FIT (Faecal Immunochemical Tests). These test for minute amounts of blood in the stool and will detect the vast majority of cancers in those tested. Getting GP’s access to the these tests and giving patients a clear pathway to them will bring better detection of cases hopefully at an earlier stage. A team of clinicians are working hard to lobby for the funding to ensure this is available soon for patients in Northern Ireland.

What advice would you give to those who are worried about colorectal cancer and other gut related health issues?

Make sure to maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet, minimise the amount of alcohol consumed and avoid smoking. Make yourself aware of any family history of the disease and if you have any of the typical persistent symptoms you should seek medical attention.

Thanks for taking the time to speak to us today, Damian. Colorectal Cancer is the third most common cancer in NI and the second biggest cancer killer. But it is curable and very treatable if caught early on.

Mr Damian McKay is a Consultant at Kingsbridge Private Hospital in both Belfast and Sligo where we offer services to help diagnose, monitor and treat colorectal cancer symptoms. If you are worried about your bowel health, please do not hesitate to book a private appointment with an expert Consultant today.