Bowel cancer is a general term for cancerous cells that divide and multiply uncontrollably in the large bowel. If it’s detected early enough, treatment can cure bowel cancer and stop it coming back. This underscores the importance of acting on the warning signs as soon as they appear.
Unfortunately, efforts to identify bowel cancer are undermined by the subtlety of symptoms.
As the NHS explains, the symptoms of bowel cancer can be subtle and do not necessarily make you feel ill.
Granted, blood in poo is a more conspicuous warning sign, but it is often due to other causes so you may be tempted to not address it.
As Cancer Research UK explains, most often, blood in the stool is from piles (haemorrhoids), especially if it is bright red, fresh blood.
Piles are characterised as swollen veins inside and around your bottom.
“These veins are fragile and can easily get damaged when you pass a bowel motion, causing a little bleeding,” says Cancer Research UK.
A tell-tale sign the blood in your poo is cancerous, however, is if the blood is not bright red.
Cancer Research UK explains: “It goes dark red or black and can make your bowel motions look like tar.”
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It adds: “This type of bleeding can be a sign of cancer higher up the bowel.”
When should I get medical help?
“See your GP if you have one or more of the symptoms of bowel cancer, and they persist for more than four weeks,” advises the NHS.
Other main symptoms include:
- A persistent change in bowel habit – pooing more often, with looser, runnier poos and sometimes tummy (abdominal) pain
- Abdominal pain, discomfort or bloating always brought on by eating – sometimes resulting in a reduction in the amount of food eaten and weight loss
As the NHS explains, when you first see your GP, they’ll ask about your symptoms and whether you have a family history of bowel cancer.
The exact cause of bowel cancer is unknown. However, research has shown several factors may make you more likely to develop it.
Many studies have shown that eating lots of red and processed meat increases the risk of bowel cancer.
According to Cancer Research UK, it is estimated that around 13 out of 100 bowel cancer cases (around 13 percent) in the UK are linked to eating these meats.
Processed meat is any meat that has been treated to preserve it and/or add flavour – for example, bacon, salami, sausages, canned meat, or chicken nuggets.
For this reason, the Department of Health and Social Care recommends that people who eat more than 90 grams (cooked weight) a day of red and processed meat should cut down to 70 grams a day.
Linked to an unhealthy diet, being overweight or obese is linked to an increased risk of bowel cancer, particularly in men.
“If you’re overweight or obese, losing weight may help lower your chances of developing the condition,” notes the NHS.
Other risk factors include:
- Having a family history of bowel cancer
- Being over the age of 50
- Smoking
- Inactivity
- Digestive disorders
- Genetic conditions
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