Rectal Cancer Symptoms

Early symptoms of rectal cancer

Especially early on, rectal cancer may not cause any symptoms at all. When symptoms start to appear, some of the most common early signs are changes in bowel habits, narrowing of the stool, rectal bleeding or blood in the stool, and abdominal pain.

It may be hard to tell the difference between symptoms caused by early rectal cancer and those caused by other digestive conditions. Occasional digestive upset is common for most people. Ongoing digestive symptoms could be a sign of not only rectal cancer but also irritable bowel syndrome, infections, inflammatory bowel diseases, hemorrhoids, and more.

When you have these common digestive symptoms, it’s likely that rectal cancer isn’t the cause. However, you should still talk to your doctor and be proactive about caring for your digestive health.

Advanced-stage rectal cancer symptoms

When rectal cancer spreads to distant body areas, you could begin to have advanced-stage rectal cancer symptoms. These symptoms often develop along with previous digestive-related signs or systemic symptoms. During advanced rectal cancer stages, such as stage 4, cancer cells begin to affect other organs and their ability to function correctly.

The exact advanced-stage rectal cancer symptoms you have depend on which organs or areas of the body are affected by cancer. However, some common locations where symptoms develop with advanced rectal cancer are in the bones, liver or lungs.