Bowel cancer is an extremely common type of cancer in the UK, but huge numbers of people still aren’t fully aware of the signs to look out for in the toilet. It’s vital that everyone looks out for abnormal changes to their toilet habits – including changes to the colour of their stools.
Bowel cancer is a general term for any cancer that develops in the large bowel, and it may sometimes be known as colon or rectal cancer.
About one in every 20 people in the UK will develop bowel cancer at some point in their lifetime, according to the NHS.
But it’s often diagnosed much later after it’s developed, because the symptoms can be easily mistaken for something less serious.
Everyone should consider checking their stools regularly to look out for any of the key warning signs.
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One of the most common signs of bowel cancer is finding blood in your stools.
More often than not, blood in your poo is caused by something less serious – like haemorrhoids.
However, it’s still important to be aware of the colour changes to avoid.
Bowel cancer is most likely to cause bleeding higher up in the bowel, which means your poo could change to a dark red or black colour, according to Cancer Research UK.
Source: Daily Express
