What are the early symptoms of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is also known as "colorectal cancer", which refers to cancer originating from the large intestine epithelium, including colon cancer and rectal cancer. Early symptoms may not be obvious, and some patients may experience diarrhea, constipation, blood in the stool, changes in stool shape, abdominal masses, and systemic symptoms.

1. Diarrhea and constipation: The frequency of bowel movements increases or decreases, and the amount of bowel movements each time may not be large, accompanied by a feeling of incomplete bowel movements. Constipation, diarrhea, or constipation and diarrhea occur alternately. Accompanied by a feeling of heaviness in the anus and dull pain in the abdomen.

2. Blood in the stool: Blood in the stool is one of the common early symptoms of colorectal cancer, caused by tumor rupture and bleeding. The blood may be bright red or dark red, the amount of bleeding is generally not much, and it occurs intermittently. Rectal cancer patients are more likely to have blood in the stool due to the friction of stool on the surface of the tumor.

3. Changes in stool shape: Normal stool is cylindrical and discharged vertically from the anus. The stool shape of patients with colorectal cancer may change, such as becoming flat or deformed, and sometimes blood may be attached to the stool.

4. Abdominal mass: When the tumor grows to a certain size, a mass can be felt in the abdomen, especially in patients with right-sided colon cancer.

5. Systemic symptoms: including anemia, weight loss, fever, general fatigue, etc. These symptoms may be related to chronic bleeding caused by tumors, consumption of nutrients, and immune response of the body.

Note: The early symptoms of colorectal cancer are not specific, and some patients may not have any symptoms. For people with risk factors for colorectal cancer, such as older age, family history, and bad eating habits, it is recommended to conduct regular colorectal cancer screening for early detection and treatment. You should maintain good eating habits on a daily basis and avoid eating spicy and greasy foods. You can exercise appropriately to enhance your physical fitness and disease resistance.