Serious Warning Signs Of Bowel Cancer

Blood In The Stool

Many bowel cancer patients experience blood in their stool. Many individuals diagnosed with bowel cancer report they had never observed any blood in their stool that could be seen with their naked eye. Darker colored stools that appear to be more grainy than usual can indicate bowel cancer. Bright red streaks of blood in the stool of affected individuals are much less common. For individuals who do notice blood in their stool caused by bowel cancer, the color of the blood is highly indicative of the location of the tumor. Tumors that occur closer to the rectum will present with a dark maroon liquid-like appearance in the stool. Blood from bowel tumors that occur closer to the junction of the small intestine and large intestine will appear as a dark black grainy texture, as it has time to begin to clot and break down before exiting the body.

Bloating

Bloating caused by bowel cancer can be associated with excessive gas. A healthy person may pass gas up twenty-three times in a single day. Cancer cells in the bowel can produce substances that cause an excessive amount of gas when food is digested. In addition, bowel cancer can spread to nearby lymph nodes and cause them to malfunction. The lymph vessels and lymph nodes are responsible for absorbing and placing fluid back into circulation when it builds up in the tissues. Cancer cells can migrate and invade into the nearby nodes and lymph vessels, causing them to become clogged. With obstructions in the lymph system, the extra fluid cannot be absorbed and put back into circulation properly. This mechanism causes fluid to build up in the tissues of the affected area. When this occurs in an individual's abdomen, it is referred to as ascites, which can make an individual with bowel cancer feel full easily and bloated.