10 Common Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer You Must Know

10 common symptoms of Colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer can be mostly silent in its early stages, showing little to no symptoms. When the disease advances, there are a variety of signs that might start to appear, with some subtle, while other signs can be alarming.

Try to pay close attention to these signs, because early diagnosis can greatly improve treatment outcomes.

Here are some of the signs you shouldn’t ignore, including:

1. Change in Bowel Movements

Experiencing constant change in bowel movements is one of the common signs of colon cancer.

Some of these changes may include:

• Diarrhea
• Constipation (lasts more than two days)
• A noticeable change in the appearance of stool (poop)

2. Rectal bleeding or Blood in Stool

If you are experiencing signs such as rectal bleeding or blood in the stool are major symptoms.

Then try to pay close attention, including:

• Bright red color on the stool
• Change in the color of your stool (poop), these signs might indicate a higher bleeding in the colon.

3. Abdominal pain, discomfort and cramps

Whether you are experiencing constant abdominal pain, cramps or bloating (constant), especially if these signs don't get better, then it can be a sign of cancer. As tumors start to grow, it can irritate the bowel movements in people or cause partial blockages, often leading to discomfort.

4. Fatigue and Extreme Weakness

If you are experiencing slow internal bleeding from the tumor, it can lead to iron-deficiency anemia, which results in fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath. 

5. Unexplained Weight Loss

If you are losing weight unexpectedly, without trying or without changing your diet. If you are losing weight without adding any kind of exercise habits. Then these may be a sign of colon cancer.

6. Loss of appetite

You might start to notice losing interest in eating your favorites or feeling full even more quickly than usual, or that your appetite has dropped. If you are experiencing these signs, then these can be associated with colorectal tumors. 

7. Lumps in the Abdomen or Rectum

A tumor might eventually grow large enough in size to feel enough to appear as a lump during the physical examination, either in the abdomen or rectal area. 

8. Nausea, vomiting and bowel obstruction

If you are experiencing nausea, vomiting, or changes in your bowel movements, then this could be a sign of cancer. If a tumor causes a partial or complete blockage in the intestine, it might often lead to symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or inability to pass stool or gas.

9. Continuous Anemia (Low Iron level)

If you are feeling tired more often, then it could be due to low iron levels in your body or getting anemic because of internal bleeding. Many colorectal cancer patients develop low-iron deficiency anemia. Beyond experiencing weakness, constant anemia can appear as pale skin or shortness of breath in patients.

10. Feeling incomplete evacuation

In many colon cancer patients, after completing the bowel movements, they might feel the rectum is not completely empty. This constant sensation is often called tenesmus, which is a major red flag. If you are experiencing this symptom, then do not ignore it; consult a doctor immediately.

When to consult a doctor?

If you are experiencing various signs for more than two weeks, then do not ignore these symptoms. Consult a doctor immediately. When you visit the doctor, they might ask various questions about your symptoms, perform a physical examination, and recommend investigations such as colonoscopy or stool-based tests to discover the cause.