Bowel cancer: Two sensations in the abdomen signalling a tumour blockage
Deborah James leaves hospital after bowel cancer surgery
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Classified as an “emergency”, any signs of a bowel obstruction must be addressed by a medical professional as soon as possible, whether it be your doctor or the nearest A&E hospital department. Cancer Research UK pointed out two sensations one could feel in the abdomen when cancer is blocking the bowel. These are cramping pains in the abdomen and feeling bloated.
Other possible indications include: constipation, the inability to pass wind, and vomiting.
A bowel obstruction is considered a “serious complication”, more common with advanced cancer.
The full range of possible symptoms of bowel cancer:
- Bleeding from the back passage (rectum) or blood in your poo
- A change in your normal bowel habit, such as looser poo, pooing more often or constipation
- A lump that your doctor can feel in your back passage or tummy (abdomen), more commonly on the right side
- A feeling of needing to strain in your back passage (as if you need to poo), even after opening your bowels
- Losing weight
- Pain in your abdomen or back passage
- Tiredness and breathlessness.
When a cancerous lump completely or partially blocks the bowel, food wastage can then not leave the body.
The informative charity Bowel Cancer UK warned that in advanced cases of bowel cancer, the tumour may have spread to the liver.
Liver metastasis, as it is known as, is the “most common place for bowel cancer to spread” to.
“The liver is an organ that sits above your stomach on the right side of your body, underneath your ribs,” the charity elaborated.
Another charity, Guts UK, highlighted the signs of secondary signs of liver cancer.
Guts UK said: “Liver cancer can cause discomfort or pain in the upper part of the abdomen.
“Some patients may feel sick or can be generally unwell. Others may lose their appetite.
“Liver cancer can cause jaundice. If the liver is enlarged, you might notice a lump in the upper part of the abdomen, or under the rib cage on the right hand side.”
Treatment for cancer will be dependent on numerous factors, such as how big the tumour is, where it has spread, and a person’s general wellbeing.
Surgery could be an option for bowel cancer that has spread to the liver.
Chemotherapy might be utilised to slow down the growth of cancer cells.
For bowel cancer that has not spread to the liver, the NHS added that treatment could include radiotherapy or biological treatments.
“If it’s detected early enough, treatment can cure bowel cancer and stop it coming back,” the NHS assured.
Anybody concerned about cancer should speak to their doctor as soon as possible.
Receiving the earliest treatment possible maximises the likelihood of surviving the cancer.
For a lucky few, they may find that their symptoms are indicative of a much less harmful condition.
Whatever is causing your symptoms, it is good to have a medical professional oversee them.
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