Common symptoms of colorectal cancer include various abdominal disorders such as abdominal pain, constipation, variable diarrhea and difficulty defecating. The patient may also have a need to defecate, mucus and scanty stools, or abdominal swelling and cramping.
In colon cancer and especially in colorectal cancer blood occurs frequently in the faeces. For this reason, anemia is also a common symptom of colorectal cancer. Sometimes cancer can cause intestinal blockage that causes vomiting, difficulty defecating and very severe abdominal pain. In this case, rapid surgery is required.
Due to the gradual onset of symptoms associated with colorectal cancer and the likelihood of similar ailments occurring in years earlier, they are often not considered to be serious which delays seeking treatment. According to studies, nine out of ten consider the symptoms to be ashamed, which is why one in five of the patients does not seek medical attention until after the disease has spread.
Seek medical treatment if:
There’s blood in the faeces
Blood in the stool is always a reason to seek treatment. Red or black stools indicate bleeding. Red blood comes from the intestine, which may indicate hemorrhoids or tumors. Black stools may indicate gastrointestinal bleeding.
The functional change in the gut does not go away
Normal stool frequency depends on the individual, but if you have to go to the bathroom more than three times a day, you should find out why. Also, constipation that has lasted for weeks should be taken seriously. However, temporary changes in intestinal function are common and you should not be alarmed by a couple of days.
The color or texture of the stool is unusual for an extended period of time
The stool is normally a uniform yellowish-brown lump. Striped stools may indicate a blockage in the gut. Prolonged pale, greenish or greyish color stool should be examined. Please note that iron medicines, salmiac and blueberry color the stool black and beetroot red.