Five silent bowel cancer signs that experts warn you should never ignore
AOL.com • • health
Key Points:
- Bowel cancer is common in the UK, but discussions about symptoms are often avoided due to social taboos, delaying early detection and treatment.
- Consultant surgeon Jeremy Clark identifies five key warning signs of bowel cancer: blood in stool, changes in bowel habits, abdominal pain, bloating, and unexplained weight loss.
- Blood in stool can vary in color depending on the bleeding location, and any occurrence of blood—especially dark or mixed with stool—should be reported to a doctor immediately.
- Sudden and persistent changes in bowel movements lasting more than two weeks warrant medical attention, as do ongoing abdominal pain, bloating, and unexplained weight loss.
- People experiencing symptoms are advised to visit their GP, who may provide a Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) kit; positive results lead to further investigations like colonoscopy to detect cancer early when it is more treatable.
