Talking about bowel movements isn’t simple, but recognizing changes in your body is crucial for early detection of serious health issues. Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, remains one of the most common cancers diagnosed in the UK, yet awareness of its signs and the screening process remains surprisingly low. As Bowel Cancer Awareness Month approaches in April, understanding potential warning signs is more important than ever.
Consultant general surgeon Jeremy Clark, specializing in colorectal diseases at Nuffield Health in Brighton, emphasizes that prompt attention to even seemingly minor changes can significantly improve outcomes. Recognizing the subtle signals your body sends is key to proactive health management. Early detection of bowel cancer dramatically increases the chances of successful treatment.
Five Key Warning Signs to Watch For
Clark highlights five critical signs that warrant a visit to your doctor:
- Blood in the Stool: “Passing blood when you go to the toilet is a worrying feature that Consider flag to your GP,” Clark states. The color of the blood can vary, offering clues about its origin. Blood originating higher in the colon tends to be darker, almost black, due to the longer travel time, while blood from lower in the bowel is typically bright red. He advises reporting any significant amount of blood, even a single instance, immediately. However, he notes that a small amount of bright red blood associated with known hemorrhoids isn’t necessarily cause for immediate alarm, but should be investigated if it persists for over a week.
- Changes in Bowel Habits: A sudden shift in your typical bowel routine is a potential red flag. “If your bowels go from working once a day like clockwork, and then suddenly you’re going two or three times a day and the bowels are a bit looser, that’s something that needs to be looked into,” explains Clark. While constipation isn’t a primary risk factor, a sudden and persistent change in bowel frequency or consistency should be reported. Changes lasting just a day or two are less concerning, but persistent alterations lasting several weeks require medical attention.
- Abdominal Pain: Bowel cancers can cause abdominal pain, though this often appears later in the disease’s progression. However, Clark emphasizes that abdominal pain can also be an early symptom.
- Bloatedness: Feeling persistently bloated can be a sign that something is amiss in the bowel. Clark notes that unexplained bloating should be investigated.
- Unexplained Weight Loss: “Bowel cancers can cause you to lose weight by having an impact on how your digestion is working,” Clark explains. Unintentional weight loss, without changes to diet or exercise, is a concerning symptom that should be discussed with a healthcare professional.
Why Symptoms Are Often Dismissed
Clark acknowledges that many of these symptoms can overlap with less serious conditions like hemorrhoids or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), leading people to dismiss them. “There’s a whole host of symptoms, but the problem is that they all cross over with other less serious problems…so people often ignore or easily dismiss these symptoms,” he says. This hesitation can delay diagnosis and treatment.
However, he stresses the importance of early reporting. “We don’t wish people to be sitting on symptoms for a couple of months, wondering if something is going to change back to normal, because although bowel cancers usually do progress slowly, occasionally they can be more aggressive,” Clark warns. “We like people to report these things early, as we would rather investigate something and figure out that it’s nothing rather than be looking at things later on and not being able to do so much.”
What to Do If You’re Concerned
If you experience any of these symptoms, or have concerns about changes in your bowel habits, it’s essential to consult your general practitioner (GP). GPs often utilize the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT), an at-home test to detect hidden blood in stool samples. According to the NHS, results are typically available within two weeks. Individuals aged 50 to 74 in the UK are also offered FIT kits every two years as part of the national bowel cancer screening program, regardless of symptoms.
“If it comes back as positive, that means there is blood in your stools which needs to be investigated,” Clark explains. “You will be referred into your local unit to have a conversation with the team about having either a colonoscopy or a CT scan to check and create sure that there is nothing going wrong in your bowel and [there are] no signs of polyps or bowel cancer. By doing that we pick things up much earlier and they become much more treatable and curable.”
Early detection remains the most powerful tool in combating bowel cancer. Staying vigilant about your body and seeking medical advice when something feels off can make all the difference.
Disclaimer: This information is intended for general knowledge and informational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice. It is essential to consult with a qualified healthcare professional for any health concerns or before making any decisions related to your health or treatment.
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