Blood in the stool - is it cancer?

Blood in the stool can be a sign of bowel cancer. But more often it is due to other causes. If you are worried about any symptoms that you think could be caused by cancer in the bowel you should see your GP.

Most blood in the stool is from piles (haemorrhoids), especially if the blood is bright red, fresh blood. Piles are like swollen veins in the back passage. These veins are fragile and can easily get damaged when you pass a bowel motion, causing a little bleeding.

Blood from higher up in the bowel doesn't look bright red. It goes black and can make your bowel motions look dark, like tar. This type of bleeding can be a sign of a cancer higher up the bowel. Or it could be from a bleeding ulcer.

If you have any bleeding, it is important to go to your doctor and get it checked. Your doctor won't think you are wasting their time with this sort of symptom. They know it could be a sign of a serious problem and needs investigating. They will be as relieved as you if it turns out to be something minor.

When you go to the GP with blood in the stool, you will almost certainly be asked to have a rectal examination. The doctor will put a gloved finger into your back passage and feel for anything abnormal. If you have piles, this examination may diagnose them. If your doctor can't feel anything abnormal, or feels a lump that may be a cancer, you will need to go to hospital for more tests. Look at the CancerHelp UK section about bowel cancer symptoms and bowel cancer tests for more information.