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Symptoms

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The symptoms of left-sided colonic carcinoma include:

  • change in bowel habit due to obstruction
  • cycle of alternating constipation and diarrhoea: constipation from the hold-up of faeces at the site of the tumour, which then liquefies and the patient develops spurious, offensive diarrhoea
  • lower left abdominal pain: initially, a mild abdominal colic or ache, which after some weeks or months, becomes persistent with severe colicky exacerbations
  • a lump in the left iliac fossa or localized tenderness
  • painful micturition and change in frequency indicating involvement of the bladder
  • darkly-coloured faeces streaked with blood, often containing mucus

Less commonly:

  • loss of weight then anorexia
  • rectal bleeding and iron deficient anaemia
  • tenesmus

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