Three typical clinical manifestations of rectal cancer

Rectal cancer is a cancer between the junction of the sigmoid colon and rectum and the dentate line. It is a common malignant tumor of the digestive tract and ranks second among digestive tract cancers. There are no obvious symptoms in the early stage of rectal cancer. Symptoms only appear when the tumor ruptures to form an ulcer or becomes infected. The typical symptoms are:

1. Rectal irritation symptoms

Patients with rectal cancer always have the urge to defecate, their bowel habits change, they often have a feeling of heaviness before defecation, a feeling of incomplete defecation after defecation, and obvious lower abdominal pain in the late stage.

2. Symptoms of intestinal stenosis

Cancer invasion causes intestinal stenosis, which initially manifests as deformed and thinner stools. When the stenosis reaches a certain degree and partial obstruction occurs, there are symptoms of intestinal obstruction such as abdominal pain, bloating, and hyperactive bowel sounds.

3. Symptoms of infection caused by tumor rupture

Symptoms of ulcer infection include blood and mucus in the stool, and in severe cases, pus and blood in the stool.

Blood in the stool is the most common symptom of rectal cancer, with an incidence rate of up to 90%, followed by frequent bowel movements, thin stools, mucus in the stool, anal pain, constipation, etc. Rectal cancer masses can also invade surrounding tissues and organs and cause corresponding symptoms of involvement. For example, if they invade the prostate and bladder, they will cause symptoms such as frequent urination, painful urination, and hematuria; if they invade the presacral nerves, they may cause severe and continuous pain in the sacral and coccygeal region; if they invade the liver in the late stage, they may cause ascites, jaundice, anemia, edema, etc.