Signs and symptoms of bowel cancer

Signs and symptoms of bowel cancer 

The initial symptoms of bowel cancer include:

• blood in your stools (faeces) and/or bleeding from your rectum,
• a change to your normal bowel habits that persists for more than six weeks, such as diarrhoea, constipation, or passing stools more frequently than usual,
• abdominal pain, and
• unexplained weight loss.

As bowel cancer progresses, it can sometimes cause bleeding inside the bowel which eventually will mean that your body will not have enough red blood cells. This is known as anaemia.
Symptoms of anaemia include:

• fatigue, and
• breathlessness.

In some cases, bowel cancer can cause an obstruction in the bowel. Symptoms of a bowel obstruction include:

• a feeling of bloating, usually around the navel (belly button),
• abdominal pain,
• constipation, and
• vomiting.

When to seek medical advice

You should always contact your GP if you experience any of the symptoms that are listed above. While the symptoms are unlikely to be the result of bowel cancer, these types of symptoms always need to be investigated further.