Bowel Cancer Symptoms

Bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer in the UK – here are the symptoms

Bowel cancer. It may sound scary but the truth is the earlier it’s diagnosed, the better the chances of survival – but only two in five bowel cancer patients are diagnosed at stage one or two.

With the recent news that a well-known BBC journalist has bowel cancer, there’s been a rise in people getting tested for the disease.

As the second biggest cancer killer in the UK, it’s vital that people get tested if they have any symptoms, but so many of us are just too embarrassed to talk about our trips to the toilet.

The testing will detect hidden blood in the stool, an early symptom of colon cancer. It’s the first step to finding out if you may have bowel cancer so rather than determine if you definitely have colon cancer, it indicates that you may require further testing in the form of a colonoscopy.

Bowel cancer can be fatal if left undiagnosed.

Symptoms can include:

• Persistent bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your stool
• A persistent change in bowel habit – needing to go more often, with looser stools
• Unexplained weight loss
• Extreme tiredness
• Persistent pain in your stomach
• A lump in your stomach

Get yourself tested today if you have any of the above systems. It might just save your life.