1. Blood in the stool<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cPassing blood when you go to the toilet is a worrying feature that you should flag to your GP,\u201d says Clark.<\/p>\n The surgeon highlights how the colour can vary from bright red to almost black in colour.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re bleeding from the beginning of your colon, it has got to travel three or four feet before it comes out with your waste material, so it will turn very dark black. But if you\u2019re bleeding from something lower down in the bowel, closer to your bottom, it will come out bright red,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you see blood in the stools, particularly darker-coloured blood or blood that\u2019s actually mixed in with the stools, just once and it\u2019s significant, that should be reported to your doctor straight away. Don\u2019t wait for that to keep on happening.\u201d<\/p>\n Persistent bright red blood should also not be ignored.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you see a bit of bright red blood on the toilet paper after going to the toilet and you know you have got haemorrhoids then that\u2019s not so worrying,\u201d says Clark. \u201cHowever, if it carries on for longer than a week then that should be reported to your doctor if it has never been investigated before.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. Changes in the way the bowels are working<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIf your bowels go from working once a day like clockwork, and then suddenly you\u2019re going two or three times a day and the bowels are a bit looser, that\u2019s something that needs to be looked into,\u201d says Clark.<\/p>\n \u201cBecoming more constipated isn\u2019t so much of a risk factor, but if it\u2019s a sudden change and it doesn\u2019t go back to normal, that needs to be looked at as well.<\/p>\n \u201cIf your bowels play up for just for a day or two and then settle, there shouldn\u2019t be anything to worry about. But if you have a persistent change that goes on for a couple of weeks, then that should be reported.\u201d<\/p>\n 3. Abdominal pain<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cBowel cancers can cause abdominal pain,\u201d highlights Clark. \u201cThis tends to be a later feature, but it can occur early on, too.\u201d<\/p>\n 4. Bloatedness<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cPeople often feel quite bloated if there\u2019s something wrong going on in the bowel,\u201d adds Clark<\/p>\n 5. Unexplained weight loss<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cBowel cancers can cause you to lose weight by having an impact on how your digestion is working,\u201d notes Clark.<\/p>\n Why do many people ignore these symptoms?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a whole host of symptoms, but the problem is that they all cross over with other less serious problems, such as haemorrhoids or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), so people often ignore or easily dismiss these symptoms,\u201d recognises Clark.<\/p>\n Reporting any unusual changes or incidents as early as possible is a critical factor in improving treatment outcomes and overall prognosis.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t want people to be sitting on symptoms for a couple of months, wondering if something is going to change back to normal, because although bowel cancers usually do progress slowly, occasionally they can be more aggressive,\u201d says Clark.<\/p>\n \u201cWe like people to report these things early, as we would rather investigate something and figure out that it\u2019s nothing rather than be looking at things later on and not being able to do so much.\u201d<\/p>\n What should people do if they have symptoms and are concerned?<\/strong><\/p>\n If you have any of these symptoms, or if you\u2019re worried about any changes that you notice, visit your GP.<\/p>\n \u201cGPs will often give patients a FIT kit (Faecal Immunochemical Test), which comes with all the instructions. Basically, an at-home kit to collect a small sample of your faeces that then goes off to the laboratory to be tested,\u201d explains Clark.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll usually get a letter telling you the results within two weeks of sending your sample, according to the NHS website<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1773648302851_1.jpg--.jpg\")
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