Bowel Cancer Overview
Bowel Cancer at a Glance
Bowel cancer is a common term for cancer which starts in the large bowel. Bowel cancer is at times referred to as either rectal or colon cancer, depending on where exactly the cancer begins.
Causes of Bowel Cancer
Factors which increase the risk of contracting bowel cancer may include:
- A former diagnosis of bowel cancer
- Smoking tobacco
- High alcohol consumption
- Being obese or overweight
- Polyps
- Consuming a lot of red meat, particularly processed meats
- inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn's disease
- Inherited genetic danger and family history
Symptoms & Signs of Bowel Cancer
Some of the most common symptoms and signs of bowel cancer may include:
- Inexplicable weight loss
- Fatigue or weakness
- A feeling that the bowel does not empty completely
- Lasting abdominal discomfort like pain, cramps or gas
- Rectal bleeding or blood in the stool
- A persistent shift in the bowel habits such as diarrhea, constipation or even a change in your stool's consistency
Bear in mind that several people with bowel cancer see no symptoms during the early stages of the disease.
