If I don't have a family history of colon cancer and I have bright red blood from rectum, should I worry?
Occasionally. My stool is brown. So, Do I really need a colonoscopy? I'm 63. What I meant was I bleed occasionally. And that my stool is still brown. That's what I meant to say.
Cancer - 9 Answers
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1 :
I would worry and go to the doctor.
2 :
Family history, given your presenting symptoms, wouldn't make that much of a difference. There are several non-cancerous conditions that could cause this: 1) internal hemorrhoids (these would not be painful, but would pretty much only be noticed with bright red blood per rectum), or 2) bleeding diverticulosis. Other things such as a rapid upper GI bleed could also account for this. It is not something to get to upset and worked up over, but given your age and the nature of this type of problem, it is best to be seen by a doctor. It is always better to err on the side of caution.
3 :
I agree with "Blazer85" to a point. I suspect he is 24 years old and learning medicine. Rapid upper GI bleeding does not cause bright red rectal bleeding. The stool appears black or mahogany in color. You describe brown stool. The vast majority of people with BRRB (bright red rectal bleeding) have hemorrhoids - internal or external. A trip to your primary care doctor is advisable - but statistically, colon carcinoma is not something to be overly worried about at this point. The odds are against colorectal cancer being the cause, but don't let me deter you from having this checked, We can't tell from here. At age 63, if you have never had a colonoscopy, it is a good screening test to have anyway. Let's see what "Denisedd" says if she sees this. She is the best on this site.
4 :
Often times if you strain when moving your bowels, this strain can cause some mild bleeding due to hemorrhoids. You say that some times the stools are brown and that's good, but this doesn't mean you have colon cancer. A family history doesn't matter and not having one is not reason not to have this looked into further. A family history begins with one person. I know you don't want to be the first person/ Whenever you're in doubt about your health and certain things show up that you know isn't normal, that call your dr. He may even be able to tell what's going on without looking a t you. Honestly, I don't trust those types of Dr,. I really believe that you have hemorrhoids. Sometimes they are little higher up the rectum than most. Either way, never take chances. Call your Dr even if it's just to put your mind at ease and you will get a proper answer I'm 63 too and I have regualar colonoscopies. You may not think so, but I think I have a lot of good years ahead and I'm not taking any chances. Not after what I went through. GET THE COLONOSCOPY Please. It only take a matter of minutes, you're put to sleep and you never knew what happened. Call a Gastrenterologist and make that appointmen. Comd on 63, heck we are just beginning to enjoy life. Good luck I wish you the best.
5 :
Better check this out with a doctor. Also, know that God can help you live a better life if you want Him to help you. You can have a personal relationship with God by saying the prayer below. God is our Creator, all-knowing, all-powerful, eternal, holy, love. God loves us and sent us His Son, Jesus Christ, so we can go to heaven if we know and follow Him. Forever means without end -- time on and on without death. Forever is what happens after we die. Either we go to heaven and be with God forever, or we go to hell which is very bad and painful forever. The good people who are saved believers in Jesus Christ go to heaven. The bad people go to hell. We need to know and follow God in this world to get to heaven in the next world. We follow God by loving and obeying Him and loving others for Him. Jesus Christ, God's Son, is our bridge to God. Jesus died on the cross to cancel our sins. We need to accept Jesus into our life as our Lord and Savior forever to receive God's blessing and forgiveness plus go to heaven to be with God forever after we die. This is about being a born-again Christian. Faith in God is a gift from God. You can pray for faith in God. Just speak out and ask God for the faith to believe in Him and to follow Him. Some people find faith in God when they realize the beauty in the world is made by God. Evolution can't explain the world's natural beauty, for example, the parks in the world, animals, flowers, peacocks, sunsets, butterflies, rainbows, etc. After you have your faith on, you can pray a sinner's prayer to be a born-again Christian. This prayer is very important and should be said with a sincere heart and faith in God. This is the prayer: "Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and that Jesus Christ is the sacrifice for our sins. I have done the following sins (state these out) and I pray to discontinue these sins. I pray to receive Jesus Christ into my life as my Lord and Savior forever. In Jesus' name, amen." I'm Lutheran and I like the Baptist churches too. You could check out a Christian church and also see about their weekly Bible study group as a good way to learn about God's will for your life. You can pray to God about your daily life and have a Christian church pray for you.
6 :
Bright red blood is fresh blood from a tear or hemorrhoids in sensitive skin. Blood from higher up in the colon would not be bright red. Older blood turns brown. Constipation can cause the delicate tissues to tear. Stool softeners, Senna and Miralax can help with this problem. At 63, you should be having a yearly colonoscopy, but this does not sound like cancer.
7 :
Awe, thank you Spreedog. I wasn’t going to answer this question until I saw yours. Everyone knows you are top dog around here not me. Frank here is a little colonoscopy obsessed. He feels his doctor is pushing him into it and he really doesn’t want to do it. I suspect some of this pushing may also be coming from his wife, as that is what wives do when they are married to men who are babies about going to the doctor or getting tests. I think Frank has been posting these questions hoping someone will give him an out. All of this aside, without changes in your bowel habits and/or abdominal pain it is not likely you have colon cancer. At the very least rectal bleeding indicates you should make some changes in your diet. Your doctor is doing the right thing by recommending a colonoscopy as you are due for one and you have rectal bleeding. He may be erring on the cautious side, but that is his job and you should be glad you have a doctor who cares enough to be a little pushy. I see people cured of colon cancer all the time on colonoscopy alone – no surgery, no chemo and no radiation. It is the only screening exam we have capable of doing this. When colon cancer is found too late your chances of survival drop significantly at stage 3C the 5-year survival rate is 50%, at stage 4 it is 5%. You should also know you would likely have a colonoscopy then anyway, unless the tumor is so huge it would be pointless or impossible to do one. I don’t think you will get answer that will fly with your doctor or your wife. You are old enough to make these decisions and ultimately it is up to you. At 63 you have probably been married long enough to know if you can win this one or not. No one knows the answer to that better than you. By the way, have you had a prostate exam and a baseline PSA yet? If not, you are overdue for that too.
8 :
Get a colonoscopy. I don't have a family history either, and I have stage III at age 46. Don't assume that the bright red blood is from a hemorrhoid--it could be from a polyp. Even if it's not cancerous or pre-cancerous, the doctor can take it out during the colonoscopy. Also, if there are other problems, he can discover them now, when they are treatable.
9 :
I had these exact symptoms at age 68 & it turned out to be colon cancer which had been growing for over a year. When they took it out it was as big as a grapefruit. I am very lucky to sill be alive. You need to get a CT scan done.
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