Five little-known symptoms of bowel cancer you should get checked out straight away

A range of symptoms can be a possible sign of bowel cancer. Most signs indicate a less serious problem, but get checked out if you are not sure about these five symptoms

Brits are being reminded of five less common signs of bowel cancer they can spot if they are worried about their health.

Cancer Research said there are over 40,000 new cases of bowel cancer in the UK each year, according to a 2017 to 2019 average. Bowel cancer survival has “more than doubled in the last 50 years in the UK”, the charity said, but the disease is still the fourth most common cancer in the UK and can pose a serious and often deadly health risk for people who are diagnosed with it.

Bowel cancer can appear in a range of symptoms and you should always contact your doctor if you are concerned, particularly if you have some of the more common indicators such as blood in your stool. But there are other less common symptoms too, so what are they?

Anaemia

Anaemia occurs when there are not enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen around the body. It can lead to tiredness and muscle fatigue.

Bowel Cancer UK said: “If you are feeling very tired all the time (fatigue) but don’t know why, it is important to speak with your GP so they can help you find the cause. This tiredness may be caused by a lack of healthy red blood cells in the body, known as anaemia. If you have anaemia, you are likely to feel very tired and your skin may look pale."

Night sweats

Night sweats can be a symptom of certain cancers. Healthline said: “Consider seeing a doctor if night sweats occur regularly and disrupt your sleeping habits, especially if you experience fevers, unexplained weight loss, or other symptoms."

Tenesmus

Tenesmus is one possible symptom of bowel cancer and one that can be particularly uncomfortable. Macmillan Cancer Support explained: “Tenesmus is the feeling that you need to go to the toilet but your bowel is empty. It can involve straining, pain and cramping. It can be caused by cramps (spasms) in the muscles that stimulate the bowel.”

The charity explained that tenesmus can sometimes be a symptom of another problem like constipation, an infection or a non-cancerous growth in the bowel.

Rectal prolapse

Rectal prolapses occur when there is “insufficient support of the rectum, and this results in the rectum dropping outside of the back passage”, according to the University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust.

The trust said the issue affects around 2.5 people per 100,000 in the UK and most impact older women. Symptoms include a lump protruding from the anus and “you may notice pain, constipation, and bleeding from the back passage”.

Pain

You should always tell your doctor if you are in pain or discomfort you cannot explain. NHS Inform said that “abdominal pain is usually the result of something you have eaten” and that most people with symptoms like this do not have bowel cancer. It is less common for stomach and bowel pain to signify bowel cancer, but it is still known to happen.