Outpatients and Sir William Rous Unit
Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Parking and directions: https://kingstonhospital.nhs.uk/patients-visitors/outpatients/find-us/
Colorectal cancer
Colorectal or Lower Gastro-Intestinal (GI) cancer is also called bowel cancer. It is the general name for cancer of the colon, rectum or anus.
You might have been referred to us by your GP, Hospital Doctor or Bowel Cancer Screeningor by One Stop clinic at St George’s Hospital.
Kingston Hospital offers a comprehensive diagnostic service. Investigations can include specific blood tests, colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy, CT and/or MRI scans.
Our pathology service provides expert analysis of blood, cells and tissues.
Your care will be provided by a group of experts called a multidisciplinary team (MDT). This is a team of doctors, nurses and other health professionals specialising in treating your type of cancer.
The weekly colorectal multidisciplinary team meeting will then review your results and recommend a treatment plan, and you will be invited to a clinic appointment to discuss your test results and treatment options.
Our team includes:
Consultant Colorectal Surgeons
Consultant Oncologists
Colorectal Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialists
Stoma Nurse and Stoma support worker
Treatments for colorectal (lower GI) cancer include surgery, systemic therapy and radiotherapy or a combination of these treatments.
We may ask you attend neighbouring hospitals for more specialist tests such as a PET scan at Royal Marsden Hospital.
What to expect at your Out-patient Appointment
You will see one of our consultants or another member of the colorectal team. If, at this first visit, we think it’s likely you have cancer, we aim for you to also see the clinical nurse specialist (CNS) who will be your key worker.
The CNS will give you written information about the type of cancer you have and an information pack that will include our contact details.
You can discuss your care with them and ask them any questions you have about your treatment.
For more information about different types of Bowel cancer and treatment please see the links at the bottom of this page.
Caring for someone with cancer
We want to make sure that you get all the assistance you need to live well with, and after, cancer. There’s a wide range of support available to help you cope with cancer, including physical, emotional and practical advice for you, your family, friends and carers
Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA)
If you have cancer, you often need care, support and information above and beyond the management of your condition.
At a holistic needs assessment, a doctor or nurse will discuss your physical, emotional and social needs. It’s about you as a whole, not just your illness.
This is a chance for you to share as much as you want about your worries and concerns. It will help us to clarify your needs and make sure you are referred to the relevant services.
It’s not compulsory, and if you decide not to have an HNA it won’t affect your care. But many patients find it useful because it identifies what help is available – and the doctor or nurse carrying it out can refer you to other services.
An HNA may be offered:
Did you know? Compared to the national average, more patients treated for bowel cancer at Kingston Hospital have minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, which is considered to be the gold standard – National Bowel Cancer Audit (NBOCAP)
· Kingston Hospital Macmillan support
· Emotional /anxiety:
Consultant surgeons specialising in colorectal cancer surgery:
020 8934 6041 / 6045
Consultant Medical Oncologist:
020 8934 3061
Colorectal Nurse Specialists:
020 8934 3069
Further Support
Beating Bowel Cancer: 020 8973 0000, www.beatingbowelcancer.org
Bowel Cancer UK: www.bowelcancer.org.uk
Colostomy Association: 0800 328 4257, www.colostomyassociation.org.uk
Macmillan Cancer Support: www.macmillan.org.uk
