The 3 main symptoms of bowel cancer are blood in the stools (faeces), a change in bowel habit, such as more frequent, looser stools, and abdominal (tummy) pain. However, these symptoms are very common.
Colon cancer is typically slow-growing, starting as a benign polyp that eventually becomes malignant. This process may occur over many years without producing any symptoms. Once colon cancer has developed, it may still be years before it is detected.
Sometimes cancer can block the bowel. This is called a bowel obstruction. The symptoms include: cramping pains in the abdomen.
Signs and symptoms
The 3 main symptoms of bowel cancer are blood in the stools (faeces), changes in bowel habit – such as more frequent, looser stools – and abdominal (tummy) pain. However, these symptoms are very common and most people with them do not have bowel cancer.
You might have any of these symptoms if the cancer has spread to your liver: discomfort or pain on the right side of your abdomen. feeling sick. poor appetite and weight loss.
The most common tumor marker for colorectal cancer is carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Blood tests for this tumor marker can sometimes suggest someone might have colorectal cancer, but they can't be used alone to screen for or diagnose cancer.
Main symptoms of bowel cancer
changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you. needing to poo more or less often than usual for you. blood in your poo, which may look red or black. bleeding from your bottom.
You use a home test kit, called a faecal immunochemical test (FIT), to collect a small sample of poo and send it to a lab. This is checked for tiny amounts of blood. Blood can be a sign of polyps or bowel cancer. Polyps are growths in the bowel.
A faecal occult blood test (FOBT) is a simple test that can be done at home and looks for hidden traces of blood in a bowel motion. It can help detect bowel cancer in its early stages in people without symptoms. You should have an FOBT every two years from age 50.
Stool tests.
Currently, three types of stool tests are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to screen for colorectal cancer: guaiac FOBT (gFOBT); the fecal immunochemical (or immunohistochemical) test (FIT, also known as iFOBT); and multitargeted stool DNA testing (also known as FIT-DNA).
If a polyp has cancerous cells, they will also biopsy nearby lymph nodes to determine if the cancer has spread or metastasized to other areas of the body. In this case radiation, chemotherapy or other therapies may be recommended. Colonoscopy screenings can be life saving!
Pain. A large colon polyp can block part of your bowel, leading to crampy abdominal pain. Rectal bleeding. This can be a sign of colon polyps or cancer or other conditions, such as hemorrhoids or minor tears of the anus.
If left untreated, polyps can continue to grow and develop into cancerous tumors, which can spread to other parts of the body. The key to preventing CRC is to detect and remove polyps early, before they have a chance to become cancerous.
CT colonography is a computed tomography ( CT ) examination to look at the large bowel (colon). It is a method of diagnosing bowel cancer when it is still at an early stage. A CT machine uses x-rays and advanced computers to create detailed images. We then examine these images to check the health of your bowel.
It's possible for a stool DNA test to show signs of cancer, but no cancer is found with other tests. Doctors call this a false-positive result. It's also possible for the test to miss some cancers, which is called a false-negative result. Having a stool DNA test may lead to additional testing.
In most cases, colon and rectal cancers grow slowly over many years.
Colon cancer and back pain
Back pain is rarely related to cancer. However, with colon, rectal, and ovarian cancer, it is possible to have lower back pain. The back pain that can occur with cancer does not seem to worsen with movement. It may continue even after PT or other treatments.
Though not as common, a person may experience excessive smelly gas due to the presence of cancer of the colon. Cancerous polyps or tumors can form blockages that cause gas to build up in the intestine. One early warning sign is when changes in diet or medication do not stop foul-smelling gas from occurring.
How often should you poop. You don't need to poop every day to be regular. It's normal and healthy to have a bowel movement anywhere between three times a week to three times a day. If you're producing soft, well-formed logs that aren't hard to push out, your bowels are probably in good shape.