5 Anal Cancer Symptoms

There is little talk of anal cancer. It is also a silent disease, meaning it has such high incidence rates as lung and breast cancer. However, it is a disease that you should be aware of.

According to the Spanish Association Against Cancer, anal cancer accounts for 1.9% of all tumors that appear in the digestive system.

While this is not a very large amount, it is worth being aware that diagnoses of that disease have increased in recent years. This increase is due, inter alia, to the following factors:

• smoking
• longer life expectancy
• papillomavirus, or HPV

Anal cancer is more of a disease in men than women, but it is more common in women over 50 years of age.

The biggest problem with this cancer is that it  often progresses without visible symptoms.

In addition, those with hemorrhoids often think that the bleeding and swelling are due to them, and thus they may never go to the doctor, even if the situation requires it.

Here are some of the most important things about anal cancer – keep reading!

Symptoms of anal cancer

We don’t always pay much attention to our body’s processes. We probably wouldn’t even notice if there would be some abnormalities in our stool one day, or even blood.

The anus is not just a place where feces in the body comes out, but it is part of our gut and especially the colon.

Its circular muscles are made up of new cells that can go through genetic changes for one reason or another. These changes result in the appearance of abnormal or cancer-producing cells.

Some risk factors can be controlled, but as you probably already know about cancer, a healthy lifestyle may not solve everything.

There are factors that may go unnoticed and for one reason or another this disease may then start to develop. Therefore, it is very important to be aware of the symptoms of this cancer as well.

1. Bleeding

This is the most important symptom, so be aware of it. Bleeding from time to time can be caused by other reasons as well, but a doctor’s diagnosis is always very important.

Sometimes bleeding is caused by hemorrhoids, simple inflammation, or some other disease that an expert can identify.

2. Feeling “full”

Most people with anal cancer feel full in the rectal area. This is because there is a growing mass inside that causes discomfort and even itching.

• Sometimes these masses prevent the gut from functioning even to the point that a person may lose control of the anal muscles.
• At first, however, this is hardly noticeable, and in fact many wait a long time and only go to the doctor when the symptoms develop more noticeable.

3. Occurrence of “warts”

Anal cancer is often associated with the appearance of warts in that area. They may develop in the gut itself or externally and cause discomfort.

However, many patients confuse them with the symptoms of hemorrhoids, and it is important to monitor their development.

Don’t be embarrassed if you have to see a doctor about this. This will give you much better peace of mind.

4. Changes in defecation

We all have small irregularities in bowel function every now and then. So sometimes there may be constipation and diarrhea – this is all perfectly normal.

However, things to worry about include loss of anal muscle control and loss of urinary retention.

As the tumor develops, the patient may experience fluid secretion in the anal area.

5. Itching

Symptoms in the lower body include  fatigue in the lower back, pressure in the abdomen, and itching in the anal area.

Itching is often associated with hemorrhoids, so many use traditional creams and treatments to alleviate this problem, which is often not shared with others. We would like to remind you once again that it is important to contact your doctor as soon as some of these symptoms occur.

Early diagnosis increases the effectiveness of treatment and the patient’s chances of survival.

A small number of cases are such that anal cancer is not diagnosed until the tumor has already advanced to the lymph nodes. In these situations, treatment is often much more aggressive than in previously observed cases.

It is good to remember, even with this disease, that medical solutions are evolving every day, and thus new technologies, treatments and medicines are becoming available all the time.