21st July 2023

A 71-year-old woman is referred on a 2-week wait to gastroenterology outpatient clinic with a 2-month history of faecal urgency

A 71-year-old woman is referred on a 2-week wait to gastroenterology outpatient clinic with a 2-month history of faecal urgency and fresh PR bleeding. She has a past medical history of GORD and osteoarthritis, however, she takes no regular medications. She lives alone and is independent in her activities of daily living with an unrestricted exercise tolerance. She is a non-smoker and drinks 1-2 glasses of wine a week. An urgent colonoscopy reveals an abnormal lesion in the rectum, 3cm from the anal sphincter. A biopsy confirms an adenocarcinoma. MRI rectum and CT chest, abdomen and pelvis scans are performed, which confirm TNM staging of T3 N0 M0. Her case is discussed at a local colorectal cancer MDT.

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