Bowel Cancer Symptoms

The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against bowel cancer are to be aware of the symptoms. In the early stages, there may be no obvious signs or symptoms to Bowel Cancer but in most cases, the following will be a good indicator:
  • Blood in the stools and/or bleeding from the rectum
  • A change in bowel habit lasting longer than 6 weeks (e.g. loose stools, diarrhoea or constipation)
  • Stomach pain (often severe)
  • Lumps or a mass in the abdomen
  • Weight loss
  • Weakness and tiredness (symptoms of anaemia)

If you are experiencing a number of these it is a good idea to get checked out by your doctor immediately.

​Important Message:

Inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis can also mimic all the symptoms of bowel cancer listed above.

It is important to be checked by your Doctor to eliminate bowel cancer as a possible cause and get the correct treatment you need.

Some of the above symptoms such as lumps or mass in the abdomen, weight loss and change in bowel habits can also be related to ovarian cancer. If your doctor has ruled out bowel cancer, please test for ovarian too. For more information about ovarian cancer click here.

Staging of Bowel Cancer

When bowel cancer is diagnosed, additional tests are performed to determine the extent of the disease, which is a process called staging.

The staging for colorectal cancer is as follows:

Stage I (least advanced cancer):

Cancer involving only the innermost layers of the colon or rectum wall.

The likelihood of cure for stage I cancer is over 90%, emphasising the importance of early detection of cancer.

Stage II:

Cancer exhibiting greater growth and extension of tumour through the wall of the colon or rectum into adjacent structures.

Stage III:

Cancer involving the spread of cancer to local lymph nodes (metastasis).

Stage IV (most advanced cancer):

Cancer has spread to distant organs, usually the liver and lungs, or lymph nodes far from the original tumour.

Charity Achievements

Key Milestones reached by Bowel Cancer Foundation Trust team.

$1.6million

Dollars distributed to help fund vital research and providing better patient outcomes

188

Bowel cancer survivors rehabilitated after gruelling treatment helping to reduce cancer re-occurrence

107+

Bowel screening kits provided to Kiwi’s who do not qualify for free public screening to detect bowel cancer early

14

Loving families kept together for longer with help for immunotherapy treatments that help reduce tumours