Bowel cancer warning signs to watch out for - and how to deal with them
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK. According to Bowel Cancer UK, the disease is the second biggest killer among cancers in Britain.
However, bowel cancer has a higher chance of being treated and cured if found early. And there are a few symptoms you can look out for to help with early detection.
Being aware of these warning signs has become more important than ever after the success of the first liver transplant for advanced bowel cancer in the UK. Bianca Perea, a 32-year-old trainee lawyer from Manchester, underwent the life changing operation while also receiving treatments such as targeted drug therapy and chemotherapy. She is now cancer free.
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Dr Lisa Wilde, director of research, policy, and influencing at Bowel Cancer UK, said: "Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, affects the large bowel, which is made up of the colon and rectum.
"Most bowel cancers develop from pre-cancerous growths, called polyps. But not all polyps develop into cancer. If your doctor finds any polyps, they can remove them to prevent them becoming cancerous.”
Here are some common symptoms to look out for...
Bowel Changes
Dr Wilde noted that an early warning sign could be changes to pooing habits. She said: "You might be going more or less often, or have diarrhoea or constipation that might come and go."
Seeing blood
Lindsay Easton, CEO of Bowel Research UK, added: “One of the most recognisable symptoms to look out for is blood in your poo or bleeding from your bottom." She advised: “This can be a sign of a less serious condition, but it’s best to get this checked out with your GP as soon as you can.”
Weight Loss
Another common warning sign for bowel cancer is losing weight, even when you are eating normally, or from having a reduced appetite.
“This is called cachexia, and the body may not be absorbing all the protein, fat and carbohydrate from the food you eat," said Dr Angela Rai, GP at The London General Practice. "Cancer may release chemicals in the body that contribute to the loss of fat and muscle.”
Unexplained tiredness
Feeling constantly tired and not knowing why could be another warning sign for bowel cancer. “There are many causes of fatigue and this should be investigated,” said Dr Rai. “Bowel cancer can cause anaemia, and the lack of healthy red cells causes fatigue.
“A simple blood test can detect this. Anaemia can be an early warning sign of bowel cancer and occurs when the tumour starts to bleed causing a reduction of red blood cells and a reduction in a protein called haemoglobin, which carries iron.”
Stomach pain or lumps
“A pain or lump in your tummy is a symptom of bowel cancer,” says Dr Wilde.
Experts have advised that if you have any of the above symptoms then you should contact your GP straight away, where they may give you an at-home test to help detect symptoms.
“If your GP wants to rule out bowel cancer, they may ask you to do a Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT), which is a test you do at home that looks for blood in your poo,” explains Easton.
“These are the same tests sent out to people as part of the bowel cancer screening programme, and we would encourage anyone eligible for screening to take part when they are invited because early diagnosis is so important.”
She added: "The NHS advises people to call 111 if your poo is black or dark red or you have bloody diarrhoea, and to go to A&E or call 999 if you’re bleeding non-stop from your bottom and there’s a lot of blood”.
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