Five Symptoms Of Anal Cancer

You hardly ever hear about anal cancer. Anal cancer is a silent disease and is not nearly as common as lung or breast cancer. It is important to be aware of five symptoms of anal cancer.

According to the Spanish Cancer Society, 1.9 percent of all tumors in the digestive tract are forms of anal cancer. Although this may not seem like much, it is important to be aware of the fact that anal cancer has become more and more common in recent years. This is mainly due to risk factors such as:

• Tobacco use
• Higher life expectancy
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

The disease is generally more common in men, but women who are fifty years or older are also more often confronted with this disease.

The main problem with anal cancer is that the disease progresses without showing obvious symptoms of anal cancer. In addition, people who suffer from hemorrhoids often confuse the bleeding and swelling with a hemorrhoid. This is the reason they never visit an expert for these symptoms.

Since information is our strongest weapon in this case, let’s take a look at some of the key features of this disease.

Anal cancer, the silent disease

Many of us don’t really pay much attention to our bodily processes. We go to the bathroom without thinking about whether it might not be wise to check that there are no abnormalities or traces of blood in our stools.

The anus isn’t just the part of the body where stool leaves our body:  it’s important to remember that our anus is part of our gut, especially the colon. It is a ring-shaped muscle made up of multiple cells that for some reason can undergo genetic changes that cause abnormal or cancerous cells.

We have control over some risk factors, but as you probably know, a healthy lifestyle is not always enough to prevent cancer. There can also be factors that we overlook and then for whatever reason cause the development of cancer. That is why it is so important to be aware of the symptoms of anal cancer.

5 symptoms of anal cancer

1. Bleeding

This is the main symptom that you should be aware of. Occasional blood in the stool can be caused by several factors. So it is important to get the correct diagnosis.

• Sometimes the bleeding is caused by hemorrhoids, a minor infection, or some other disease that an expert can easily diagnose.
• However, it is important to see your doctor right away as soon as this symptom occurs.

2. Feeling full

Most people who have had anal cancer experienced a feeling of fullness in the rectal area. This feeling is caused by a mass growing in the anus that causes discomfort and sometimes itching itself.

• Sometimes these masses hinder intestinal transit to such an extent that a person even loses control of his anus muscles.
• At first, the growth of these masses is hardly noticeable. In fact, most people don’t see a doctor until six months after the symptoms have become obvious.

3. The appearance of ‘warts’

Anal cancer is often accompanied by the development of warts in the area around the anus. These warts can arise both internally and externally and cause a lot of discomfort. Most people confuse warts with normal sores, but it is important to keep a close eye on these types of warts.

Do not be ashamed to consult your doctor about this. This will actually reassure you.

4. Changes in bowel habits

We all have minor bowel problems from time to time. Everyone suffers from constipation or diarrhea from time to time. This is normal.

• Symptoms you should be concerned about are:  loss of control over your anal muscles and sudden incontinence.

• As the tumor grows, you may also experience fluid discharge from the anus.

5. Itching

Symptoms that occur in the lower half of the body include fatigue in the lower back, pressure on the abdomen and itching around the anus.

• This itching is usually attributed to hemorrhoids, which is why most people rely on their usual creams and treatments to ease the discomfort.
• Even in this case, however, we must emphasize how important it is to consult a doctor when you experience these kinds of symptoms.

Early diagnosis increases the chance that the disease can be treated successfully.

In some cases, anal cancer is only diagnosed at an advanced stage. This is often when the tumor has already spread to the lymph nodes. In these cases, the treatment is often very intense.

The medical knowledge of experts is increasing day by day and new technologies, treatments and medicines are constantly being developed. Therefore, make sure you consult a doctor if any of the above symptoms of anal cancer occur.