Bowel cancer kills as many New Zealanders as breast and prostate cancer combined, but it can be treated successfully if detected and treated early. Surveillance of those at higher risk of bowel cancer as well as managing patients presenting with symptoms for bowel cancer is essential to enable early intervention.
Acute abdominal pain is one of the most common presentations to primary care physicians, and can be difficult to manage. Knowing when to refer for secondary care, and when it is appropriate to manage in the community requires a thorough history and examination as well as decision-making around potential imaging.
Professor Ian Bissett, a general and colorectal surgeon, will cover these two important topics during this webinar, providing a practical framework for assessment, screening and management, using a case studies approach:
- A primary care approach to a patient with acute abdominal pain.
- Referring acute abdominal pain vs who can be ‘watched’.
- Bowel cancer in younger age groups.
- How to investigate and follow patients with symptoms of bowel cancer.
- Understanding bowel cancer screening.
Resources
- Referral Criteria for Direct Access Outpatient Colonoscopy or Computed Tomography Colonography NZ MOH (2019)
Presenter
Ian Bissett
Ian Bissett is Professor in Surgery at the University of Auckland and Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at Auckland City Hospital. He worked many years as a general surgeon in Pokhara, Nepal then undertook his MD research in the anatomy and radiology of rectal cancer at Auckland in 1998-2000.
He is past President of the Coloectal Surgical Society of Australia and NZ, is the chair of the NZ National Bowel Cancer Working Group, clinical director of the National Intestinal Failure Service for Adults and co-director of the Nutrition Support Team at Auckland.
His particular interests include rectorectal cancer, gut motility, faecal incontinence and Global Surgery. He has over 120 publications in peer reviewed journals and 5 book chapters published.