Symptoms of bowel cancer
There is no rule for how often you should be going to the toilet. The important thing is to know what is normal for you, and to let your GP know if you notice any changes.
Symptoms of bowel cancer
Bowel cancer is cancer that begins in the large bowel, which is made up of the colon and rectum. It’s sometimes called colorectal cancer.
On this page we’ll give you information on what the symptoms can look like and when to visit your GP if you think you have symptoms.
Watch the video above to hear Dr Anisha Patel talk about the symptoms of bowel cancer.
What are the symptoms of bowel cancer?
Bowel cancer can affect anyone, whatever your age, gender, ethnicity or where you live.
Symptoms can include:
- bleeding from your bottom
- blood in your poo
- a change in your pooing habits. You might be going more or less often, or have diarrhoea or constipation that might come and go
- losing weight but you’re not sure why
- feeling very tired all the time but you’re not sure why
- a pain or lump in your tummy
Having these symptoms doesn’t always mean you have bowel cancer, but it’s still important to find out what’s causing them.
What should I do if I have symptoms of bowel cancer?
If you have any of these symptoms, or if you’re worried about any changes that you notice, visit your GP and ask about an at-home test. It’s important to know that not everyone will have all the symptoms of bowel cancer, or they may get different symptoms at different times. Even if you have just one symptom, your GP will want to see you.
What is the at-home test?
Your GP can give you a poo test kit, called a faecal immunochemical test (FIT), to do at home. You’ll collect a small amount of poo. This is sent to a lab where they will test for blood in your poo. The result of this test will tell your GP whether you need further tests.
More information on doing an at-home test is available on our testing page.
We know that talking about poo and going to the toilet can be embarrassing, but your GP will understand and will be used to talking about these things. Seeing your GP as soon as you can when you have symptoms can help to diagnose bowel cancer early. The earlier that bowel cancer is diagnosed, the more treatable it’s likely to be.
Keeping a note of your symptoms can help you to explain what you ’re exp eriencing at your GP appointment. This will help your GP to decide what test s to do. Our symptoms diary makes it easy to track your symptoms and record any other information before you speak to your GP.
More about bowel cancer symptoms
Bleeding from your bottom or blood in your poo
There are several things that can cause bleeding from your bottom or blood in your poo. Bright red blood may come from swollen blood vessels (haemorrhoids or piles) in your back passage, or non-cancerous growths (polyps). It may also be caused by bowel cancer. Dark red or black blood may come from your bowel or stomach. Tell your GP about any bleeding so they can find out what’s causing it.
Tell your GP if you have noticed any changes in how often you’re pooing. You may be going more or less often. You may have loose runny poo (diarrhoea) and you may need to go to the toilet more often than normal. Or your poo might be hard, dry, and difficult to pass (constipation). If you have constipation, you may find it painful when you go to the toilet, or you may feel like there is still poo that you haven’t been able to pass.
There is no rule for how often you should be going to the toilet. The important thing is to know what is normal for you, and to let your GP know if you notice any changes.
Speak to your GP if you have lost weight and you don’t know why. You may not feel like eating if you feel sick, bloated or if you just don’t feel hungry.
If you are feeling very tired all the time (fatigue) but don’t know why, it is important to speak with your GP so they can help you find the cause. This tiredness may be caused by a lack of healthy red blood cells in the body, known as anaemia. If you have anaemia, you are likely to feel very tired and your skin may look pale.
You may have pain or a lump in your tummy (abdomen). If the pain or lump doesn’t go away or affects how you sleep or eat, speak to your GP.
It’s important to know what feels normal for you, as not everyone will experience the same symptoms, or they may have different symptoms at different times. If things don’t feel right or you notice a change in what’s normal for you, visit you GP as soon as you can.
Sometimes, a tumour can block the bowel. This can cause sudden and strong pains in the stomach area, bloating and make you feel or be sick. This is called a bowel obstruction. You may also be unable to poo or pass wind.
If you think you have a bowel obstruction, are in a lot of pain, or feeling very unwell, call NHS 111 for advice or go to a hospital accident and emergency department.
What causes bowel cancer?
We don’t know what causes most bowel cancers, but we do know that some things can increase your risk of getting the disease. If you have a close family history of bowel cancer or want to find out ways to reduce your risk of developing the disease, more information is available on our risk factors page.
If you have any of the symptoms described above, or if you’re worried about any changes that you notice, contact your GP and ask about an at-home test.
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Symptoms of bowel cancer
Symptoms of bowel cancer can include a change in your normal bowel habit or blood in your poo. They can also be symptoms for other conditions, but it’s important to see your doctor.
Bowel cancer can start in the large bowel (colon cancer) or back passage (rectal cancer). It is also called colorectal cancer.
Take a look at this 1 minute video about the symptoms of bowel cancer.
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Transcript
What are the symptoms of bowel cancer?
The symptoms can include:
A change in your normal bowel habit – such as needing to go for a poo more often, or feeling like you haven’t emptied your bowels properly.
Bleeding from your bottom or blood in your poo.
Losing weight when you haven’t been trying to.
A pain or lump in your tummy.
Feeling a lot more tired than usual.
Feeling breathless.
Remember, these symptoms can be caused by other conditions, not just cancer. But if you do have any of these symptoms or anything else that is not normal for you, go to see your GP. They can examine you and do further tests if necessary.
Possible symptoms of bowel cancer
The symptoms of bowel (colorectal) cancer can include:
- bleeding from the back passage (rectum) or blood in your poo
- a change in your normal bowel habit, such as looser poo, pooing more often or constipation
- a lump that your doctor can feel in your back passage or tummy (abdomen), more commonly on the right side
- a feeling of needing to strain in your back passage (as if you need to poo), even after opening your bowels
- losing weight
- pain in your abdomen or back passage
- tiredness and breathlessness caused by a lower than normal level of red blood cells (anaemia)
Sometimes cancer can block the bowel. This is called a bowel obstruction. The symptoms include:
- cramping pains in the abdomen
- feeling bloated
- constipation and being unable to pass wind
- being sick
A bowel obstruction is an emergency. You should see your doctor quickly or go to A&E at your nearest hospital if you think you have a bowel obstruction.
Blood in your poo
Blood in your poo (stools or faeces) can be a sign of bowel cancer. But it is often due to other causes. See your GP if you are worried about any symptoms that you think could be caused by cancer in the bowel.
Most often, blood in the stool is from piles (haemorrhoids), especially if it is bright red, fresh blood. Piles are like swollen veins in the back passage. These veins are fragile and can easily get damaged when you have a poo, causing a little bleed.
Blood from higher up in the bowel doesn’t look bright red. It goes dark red or black and can make your poo look like tar. This type of bleeding can be a sign of cancer higher up the bowel. Or it could be from a bleeding stomach ulcer for example.
It is important to go to your doctor if you have any bleeding and get checked.
Your doctor won’t think you are wasting their time. It’s very likely that you’ll have a rectal examination. This means the doctor puts a gloved finger into your back passage and feels for anything abnormal.
Your doctor might send you to the hospital for further tests.
When to see your doctor
Go to see your GP if you are worried about any of the symptoms mentioned above.
Remember these symptoms can be caused by other conditions. Many of these are much less serious than cancer, such as piles (haemorrhoids), infections or inflammatory bowel disease.
References
- Localised colon cancer: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up.
G Argilés and others
Annals of Oncology, 2020. Volume 31, Issue 10 Pages 1291-1305 - Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI): Guidelines for the management of cancer of the colon, rectum and anus (2017) – diagnosis, investigations and screening
C Cunnigham and others
Colorectal disease, 2017. Volume 19, Pages 1-97 - Suspected cancer: recognition and referral
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), June 2015 - Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology (11th edition)
VT De Vita, TS Lawrence and SA Rosenberg
Wolters Kluwer, 2019
