Bowel Cancer is sometimes misdiagnosed as Ulcerative Colitis

It has been reported that some patients have been misdiagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, when in fact the correct diagnosis in their specific case was Bowel Cancer.

Bowel cancer or colorectal cancer is cancer that occurs anywhere from the large intestine to the anal canal. Symptoms of bowel cancer include bleeding from the rectum or blood in your stool, a change in bowel habits, abdominal pain and cramping, bloating, unexplained weight loss and tiredness. Bowel cancer can be misdiagnosed as haemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and diverticulitis.

Always consult your doctor or health professional, and do not self diagnose.

Symptoms can include:

Abdominal pain, cramping , bloating, unexplained weight loss, unexplained tiredness, bleeding from the rectum, blood in stools, looser stools, constipation, more frequent trips to the toilet, narrower than usual stools

Symptoms are a guideline only and may apply to either the diagnosis or the reported misdiagnosis, or both. Consult your specialist for further information.

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