What are the symptoms of rectal cancer? Have you noticed?

Rectal cancer is a common malignant tumor that seriously threatens human health and life. In recent years, the incidence of rectal cancer has shown an upward trend. Its incidence ranks third in the cancer series in my country, second only to gastric cancer and lung cancer. In order to better prevent rectal cancer, we must first know the symptoms of rectal cancer. So what are the specific symptoms of rectal cancer? Let's take a look below.

1. Blood in the stool

Blood in the stool is one of the most common symptoms of rectal cancer, but it is often ignored by patients.

The early symptoms of rectal cancer are mainly painless bloody stools, and the blood is red or bright red, which are very similar to the symptoms of early internal hemorrhoids, so the two are easily confused.

In the late stage of rectal cancer, blood in the stool is mostly dark red, mixed with mucus and blood in the stool or pus and blood in the stool, and sometimes accompanied by blood clots and necrotic tissue.

2. Changes in bowel habits

Changes in bowel habits are typical symptoms of mid- to late-stage colorectal cancer. Due to the rectal mass and its secretions, intestinal irritation symptoms may occur, causing patients to have frequent bowel movements, a feeling of incomplete defecation, tenesmus, etc., but the discharge is mostly mucus, pus, and blood. At this time, the shape of the stool also changes, and the stool becomes thinner and thinner. Initially, these "false diarrhea" phenomena often occur shortly after getting up in the morning, which is called "morning diarrhea." Later, the frequency gradually increases, and even the patient cannot fall asleep at night, which changes the previous bowel habits.

3. Intestinal stenosis and obstruction

In the late stage of rectal cancer, the tumor infiltrates around the intestinal wall, causing the intestinal cavity to narrow, especially at the junction of the rectum and sigmoid colon. Most of them are stenotic sclerosing cancers, which can easily cause obstruction.

4. Chronic wasting symptoms

Patients with advanced colorectal cancer may develop systemic malignant lesions due to long-term chronic consumption of the disease. Patients may experience symptoms such as loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, anemia, jaundice, and ascites.

5. Symptoms of rectal cancer metastasis

Rectal cancer is generally painless, but if the cancer infiltrates into the anal canal and sphincter, the pain will be significant.

If the sphincter loses its function, bloody stools often flow out of the anus. In male patients, the tumor may infiltrate the posterior urethra, prostate or posterior wall of the bladder, causing frequent urination, painful urination and difficulty in defecation; in female patients, the tumor may infiltrate the posterior wall of the vagina; in late stage cancers that invade the sacral plexus, there is severe and persistent pain in the perineum and sacrum, which may radiate to the lower abdomen, waist and thighs.

Through the above, we know what symptoms of rectal cancer are. Although rectal cancer is very harmful, as long as it is discovered in time and treated as soon as possible, nearly 80% of early rectal cancer patients can be effectively treated. Therefore, if there are suspected symptoms of rectal cancer, patients should not be anxious, as long as they go to a regular professional anorectal hospital for professional examination and treatment in time. I hope this article can help you or your friends. This article is for reference only. If you have other questions, please consult our experts online.

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