Signs and Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer
- Cancer is a serious disease that should be actively fought under a doctor’s care. If you have one or more of the symptoms listed below of colorectal cancer, you should seek the care of a doctor.
- Symptoms include a change in bowel movements, constipation, bleeding in the rectum, weakness, abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss, and bloody stool.
- Colorectal cancer can sometimes cause significant blood loss, which can ultimately lead to anemia, or a low red blood cell count. Often, colorectal cancer is diagnosed because of blood work returning results that indicate the individual has a low red blood cell count.
- Colorectal cancer can often go undiagnosed, however, because many of these symptoms are also typical of other conditions. Infections, hemorrhoids, and even irritable bowel syndrome can cause some of the same symptoms as cancer. For this reason, it is important to see a doctor if you find yourself experiencing one or more of these symptoms for more than a few days so that blood work can be done. Blood work will reveal the true cause of the symptoms you are experiencing; and if the cause is cancer, treatment can begin and your doctor can advise the right program for you.