Symptoms of colorectal cancer

In most cases, polyps do not cause any symptoms. In a few cases (5%), polyps may cause bleeding, though this is usually only detectable by testing a specimen of the stool. In some cases, the patient may see bleeding that is visible to the naked eye, but a stool test will still be necessary to confirm this.

 

Colorectal cancer symptoms are easily confused with many other diseases of the stomach and intestine, and the early symptoms are often non-specific, such as tiredness or occasional loss of appetite. More worrying symptoms include anaemia or weight loss, but the initial picture is often subtle, and may at first be ignored by the patient. Sometimes marked constipation will ring alarm bells, possibly alternating with diarrhoea. The patient may also suffer from abdominal pains, which tends to lead the patient to the doctor sooner rather than later.