colon cancer symptom : What symptoms are associated with bowel cancer?

The most common symptom of bowel cancer is a change in bowel habit, e.g. constipation, bleeding or diarrhoea. Other symptoms of bowel cancer may include any of the following:-

Fresh blood in the stools or black stools.
Loss of weight.
Anaemia.
Large amounts of mucus being passed with the stools.
Discomfort or pain in the abdomen or back passage.
All these symptoms can be caused by other diseases, so if you have any change in bowel habit that persists for more than 2 weeks, you should make an appointment to see your doctor. Unfortunately, many patients do not have any symptoms until the disease is in an advanced stage.

Am I at risk from bowel cancer?

Some people are at greater risk of developing bowel cancer, than others. These risks may include any of the following :-

If you have a tendency to develop polyps.
Age - men and women over the age of 50.
A family history of the disease.
Previous bowel cancer - if you have the disease before you are more at risk of it returning.
Is there anything I can do to reduce the risk?

To help protect yourself against bowel cancer aim to eat a diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruit and fibre. Cut down on high fat products, cut visible fats off meat and limit the alcohol you drink. You should also aim to have 20 minutes of moderate exercise 3-5 times a week.

Who is screened for bowel cancer?

If your doctor believes you are in a high risk group e.g. a strong family history of bowel cancer then you may be routinely screened. This screening will usually be an examination of the inside of your bowel, every 3-5 years. If you have had polyps removed from your bowel in the past, your doctor may also suggest you are screened every 5 years.

Home tests for the early detection of blood in stools.

Achieving a complete cure of bowel cancer depends on early diagnosis. We strongly recommend our bowel disorder test for anyone who is over the age of 50. Cancers of the colon and bowel often bleed and may show in your stool, the test we sell detects small amounts of blood in the stool (click here for more details or to buy).

Please be aware a positive result from our test does not necessarily mean you have bowel cancer, but could be a less serious condition such as piles, polyps or an ulcer. However, not all bowel cancers bleed, so if you receive a negative result, and still have other symptoms you should still consult your doctor.

The Colon Cancer Concern charity recommends home tests for bowel/colon cancer - “In the absence of a national screening program, we feel it may be helpful for people over the age of 50 to have access to a faecal occult blood test that they can do themselves in the home, because for many people diagnosis is late and cancer is well developed”

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