Can You Have Bowel Cancer Without Any Symptoms?
The short answer is YES. It is certainly possible to have bowel cancer with no symptoms at all, in this article we delve a bit deeper into how common this is, why it occurs, and what you can do to detect asymptomatic bowel cancer.
đź’ˇ Did you know
Bowel cancer tends to grow slowly, it starts from little growths called polyps, some of these polyps can be completely harmless, but some can undergo pre cancerous and then cancerous changes causing them to grow into more advanced tumours. These polyps tend to be symptom free, no pain and no change in your bowel habit, they do however at times secrete microscopic blood - often the earliest and sometimes only sign. This can be picked up with a FIT test.
How Common Is Symptom Free Bowel Cancer
How Does Bowel Cancer Develop
- The normal bowel Are bowels should be clear tubes that can transport waste out of the body.
- Polyps develop We can get small outgrowths in are bowel call polyps, these tend to start as harmless 'benign' lesions
- Polyps undergo a cancerous change Some polyps over months or years develop pre cancerous changes that means they grow and start to invade into the bowel structure.
- The Tumour Develops Over months or years the pre cancerous polyp becomes a tumour / bowel cancer. This then starts to invade the structures around the tumour, and can spread to other parts of the body and continue to grow.
Many cases of bowel cancer are diagnosed in people who:
- Feel completely healthy
- Have no warning signs
- Are going about normal daily life
This is especially true in:
- Early stage cancers
- People under 60
- Individuals who are otherwise fit and active
When Do Symptoms Appear?
Once the polyps have undergone a full cancerous change and develop into tumours these continue to grow, at first most have no symptoms apart from microscopic bleeding that can be picked up by a FIT test.
Once the bowel cancer has increased in size and is more advanced, some people may start to get symptoms.
These may include:
- Blood in your stool / poo
- A persistent change in bowel habit - often looser poo
- Unexplained iron deficiency
- Abdominal discomfort
- Weight loss
But relying on symptoms means waiting until the disease is more advanced. We will miss the crucial stage when the bowel cancer is small enough to remove with surgery and potentially cure it.
A Truescreen success story
The image to the left (or below if your reading on a mobile) is a screenshot from an email i received from a truescreen customer. She ordered a FIT test for her husband who had absolutely no symptoms at all and felt fine. I called him a week later and informed him he had a postive test and what to do next. A few days later he had a colonoscopy that showed he had multiple polyps undergoing cancerous changes, he caught this just in time a few months or years later and things would have been too late.
Early cancers are much easier to treat
Bowel cancer is much easier to treat when it is caught early. If it is just a few small polyps, these can often be removed during a colonoscopy. An early tumour that has not spread can usually be treated with surgery.
However, once bowel cancer becomes advanced and spreads, it is much more difficult to treat. Management may involve a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and sometimes immunotherapy. In some cases, it may not be curable.
This is why early detection is so important.
How Can You Detect Bowel Cancer Early?
Faecal Immunochemical Tests (FIT Tests)
One of the simplest and most effective ways to screen for bowel cancer is the FIT Test.
FIT Tests work by detecting tiny amounts of hidden (microscopic) blood (haemaglobin) in faeces / poo. Microscopic traces of blood are often the first  changes of bowel cancer detectable before symptoms appear. Providing a simple, at home screening option.
At Truescreen, we use lab grade FIT testing, the same technology used in clinical screening programmes. It is important not to get FIT tests confused with the older more inaccurate technology that are available for much cheaper - FOB Tests.
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Pros:
- Easy to do: FIT tests are easy to do at home, you can screen for bowel cancer without having to go to the hospital.
- Non Invasive: Unlike colonoscopy FIT tests are non invasive- they dont require sedation or a potentially risky or unpleasant procedure.
- Good at picking up early disease:Â when treatment is much easier
- Cost Effective: Compared to colonoscopy which can cost around $3000 -$5000 FIT tests are much more affordable, even if done yearly.Â
Cons:
- Does not diagnose cancer: FIT tests are screening tests, they cannot tell you whether you have cancer, a positive test means further tests are needed.
- May need to be repeated: Evidence shows benefit in 2 yearly testing cycles, but yearly testing has been shown to be more accurate and better overall.
- Can miss early cancers: Like any medical test, nothing is 100%, FIT tests can sometimes miss small non bleeding cancers, thats why you should always seek medical advice if you have concerns or symptoms.
“Bowel cancer doesn’t wait for symptoms, as weve discussed many bowel cancers are asymptomatic, and by the time you have symptoms it can be too late. — Early detection is simple, and it saves lives.” Dr Clive Price
Don't Delay, Start Screening Today
Dr Clive Price
Written by Dr Clive Price (MRCGP UK) Founder of Truescreen, practicing GP at Tara Road Medical practice, advocate for proactive medicine. Healthpoint
