Don’t ignore your symptoms. It may be nothing, but if it’s something more serious, early detection and treatment can save your life.
Blood in the stool
Bowel cancer is usually a slow-growing cancer. There are often no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. One of the most common symptoms of bowel cancer include blood in the stool. However, many other conditions can cause this symptom, not just bowel cancer. To be sure it’s nothing serious, talk to your GP. Bleeding from the rectum should never be ignored. (Source: Cancer Australia)
Changes in bowel habits or stool consistency
Symptoms could be a recent, persistent change in bowel habit such as looser, more diarrhoea-like poo, constipation, or going to the toilet more often, or trying to go (irregularity in someone whose bowel habits have previously been regular). A change in shape or appearance of your poo For example, narrower poos than usual or mucus in poo. A feeling that the bowel has not emptied completely after going to the toilet (Source: Bowel Cancer Australia)
Abdominal or back passage discomfort
Abdominal pain or swelling; pain or a lump in the anus or rectum; frequent gas pain, cramps; a feeling of fullness or bloating in the bowel or rectum.
Not everyone experiences symptoms, particularly in the early stages of bowel cancer. The above symptoms may be suggestive of bowel cancer, but they can also be due to other medical conditions, some foods or medicines. (Source: Bowel Cancer Australia)
Difficulty swallowing
Difficulty swallowing or dysphagia could be a symptom of many different medical conditions. Minor issues could prevent the oesophagus or throat from working properly. But it could also be a symptom of something more serious such as oesophageal cancer. If you are experiencing this, talk to your GP.
If you have any of these symptoms, please see your GP.
Don’t delay in talking to your GP if you are experiencing any of the described symptoms for two weeks or more, because when diagnosed early almost 99 percent of cases can be successfully treated. (Source: BCA)
If you already have a GP referral, please email it below.
