Colorectal Cancer Symptoms

Like many people with colorectal cancer, you may have no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. When symptoms appear, they'll likely vary, depending on the cancer's size and location in your large intestine. In some cases, your symptoms may result from a condition other than cancer, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) , and sometimes diverticulosis or diverticulitis. Like colorectal cancer, these conditions are treatable.

See your doctor if any of the following signs and symptoms persist for more than a couple of weeks:

• A change in your bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation or a change in the consistency of your stool
• Narrow, pencil-thin stools
• Rectal bleeding or blood in your stool on more than one occasion
• Persistent abdominal discomfort, such as cramps, gas or pain
• A feeling that your bowel doesn't empty completely
• Unexplained weight loss
• Blood in your stool may be a sign of cancer, but it can also indicate other conditions. Bright red blood you notice on bathroom tissue may come from hemorrhoids or minor tears (fissures) in your anus, for example.

Normally, hemorrhoids don't bleed consistently over a period of weeks. If your bleeding is prolonged, talk to your doctor.

In addition, certain foods, such as beets or red licorice, can turn your stools red. Iron supplements and some anti-diarrheal medications may make stools black. Still, it's best to have any sign of blood or change in your stools checked promptly by your doctor.