‘Severe’ symptom after eating that could signal bowel cancer – doctor’s advice

Bowel cancer is the second most deadly type of cancer in the UK, causing almost 17,000 deaths every year.

In its early stages it might not present with symptoms, or only result in mild symptoms, making it hard to diagnose.

As with any disease, the sooner you spot the signs the better chance you have of getting successfully treated for bowel cancer.

An expert spoke with Express.co.uk to explain some of the vital signs of bowel cancer to be wary of.

Doctor Chun Tang, medical director and GP at Pall Mall Medical and the inventor of screening kit ColoAlert, said: “Bowel cancer can become difficult to detect and treat if not caught in its infancy; due to the lack of symptoms typically associated with early stages, many cases are diagnosed when more advanced.

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“Bowel cancer is usually first noticed when the bowel becomes obstructed by a tumour.”

One symptom caused by an obstruction includes a “severe” abdominal pain that can worsen after eating.

“Some common symptoms that your bowel may be obstructed are intermittent, and sometimes severe, abdominal pain which intensifies after eating, unintentional weight loss with persistent abdominal pain, constant swelling of the tummy with abdominal pain and being sick with constant abdominal pain,” Dr Tang explained.

He warned that this could make daily activities difficult.

“The pain and discomfort of the bowel obstruction is what makes daily life especially difficult for those living with bowel cancer,” he said.

“The pain can be agonising and, with the pain often intensifying after eating, can lead to a reduction in eating which in turn may leave you with low energy levels and unwanted weight loss.”

He shared other signs to look out for.

Dr Tang said: “The main, noticeable symptoms of bowel cancer include blood in your poo (but without symptoms of other conditions like piles), abdominal pain or bloating that is intensified after eating (which can lead to reduction of eating and consequently unwanted weight loss), and a persistent change in bowel habits, pooing more often with looser and runnier poos.

“It’s important to note that most people who experience these symptoms do not necessarily have bowel cancer, however it is always worth checking in with your GP if you are experiencing any of these symptoms for a prolonged period to rule out any other possible causes.”

“The doctor will be able to rule out any other possible causes and refer you on for further tests to confirm whether the symptoms are being caused by bowel cancer.

“If further tests come back indicating cancer, an oncologist will guide you through the most appropriate treatment for you but in most cases, this includes an operation to remove the bowel obstruction.”

According to the NHS, symptoms of bowel cancer include:

• Changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you
• Needing to poo more or less often than usual for you
• Blood in your poo, which may look red or black
• Bleeding from your bottom
• Often feeling like you need to poo, even if you’ve just been to the toilet
• Tummy pain
• Bloating
• Losing weight without trying
• Feeling very tired for no reason.

The health body advises speaking to a doctor if these persist for three weeks or longer.

However, it urges calling 999 if:

• You’re bleeding non-stop from your bottom
• There’s a lot of blood, for example, the toilet water turns red or you see large blood clots.

Although it is not always not what causes bowel cancer there are a number of factors that can increase your risk of the disease.

These include if:

• You’re over 50
• You smoke
• You’re overweight
• A close relative has had bowel cancer
• You have inflammatory bowel disease, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
• You have small growths in your bowel called bowel polyps
• You have Lynch Syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis.