What does change in bowel habits feel like with bowel cancer?

The change may be new constipation, looser stools, alternating constipation and diarrhoea, or stools that become narrower than usual. You may feel an urgent need to use the toilet, need to go more often, or feel that your bowel has not emptied after passing stool. Bloating, cramping, mucus or blood can occur alongside the change. Most people with Bowel Cancer notice change in bowel habits, but bowel symptoms also have many non-cancer causes.

The pattern matters more when it persists, keeps returning or differs clearly from your usual routine. Note the start date, frequency, stool appearance, pain, bleeding, weight change and any medicines or dietary changes. A clinician may use this history alongside an examination and tests to identify the cause.

Arrange a medical assessment for a persistent or unexplained change, especially when it is accompanied by blood in the stool, ongoing abdominal discomfort, unusual tiredness or unintentional weight loss. Keep drinking fluids unless a clinician has restricted them, and record bowel movements rather than relying on memory. Avoid starting repeated laxatives or anti-diarrhoeal medicines without advice when bleeding, severe pain or a new unexplained pattern is present.

Seek urgent care for heavy or continuous rectal bleeding, black tar-like stool, severe or worsening abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, a swollen abdomen, or inability to pass stool and gas. These symptoms can indicate bleeding or blockage and need prompt assessment, regardless of the eventual cause.

Ask what tests fit your symptoms, whether your medicines could be affecting bowel movements, and which changes should prompt immediate contact. Share whether the pattern includes urgency, narrow stools, bleeding, mucus, pain or a feeling of incomplete emptying.