Blood In Stool Means Cancer

A positive test can mean other conditions however.

Blood in stool means cancer.

It s not as though a certain shade or red means it must be colon cancer. Symptoms of colon cancer may not be present or be minimal and overlooked until it becomes more severe. If you have any of these symptoms seek immediate medical help. Blood usually but not always can be detected through a fecal occult hidden blood test in which samples of stool are submitted to a lab for detection of blood.

Occult blood in the stool may indicate colon cancer or polyps in the colon or rectum though not all cancers or polyps bleed. Typically occult blood is passed in such small amounts that it can be detected only through the chemicals used in a fecal occult blood test. Colon cancer symptoms blood in the stool. You may notice obvious blood the stool or darker colored bowel movements which may indicate that.

Blood in the stool may point to generalized inflammation in the body steele s team said. Occult means you do not know there is blood in the stool i e you cannot see bright red recognizable blood like you might see if you had bleeding from hemorrhoids. Inflammation is associated with most of the more common causes of death including cancer heart disease. Cancers can bleed but so can a bunch of other things like ulcers hemorrhoids infections or sores.

As far as how often or what percentage of cases colon cancer presents with noticeable blood in the stool dr. However i would imagine that most people at some point or another nearly 100 experience bright red blood either mixed in or with bowel movements and or on the toilet paper. Cancer screening tests for colon cancer thus are important in individuals 50 and older. Bright red blood in the stool typically indicates that there is bleeding in the rectum or colon which.

Cancer of the colon and rectum can exhibit itself in several ways. Changes in bowel habits. The fecal occult blood test fobt is a lab test used to check stool samples for hidden occult blood. No matter what the cause blood in your stool needs to be checked out by a doctor.