Bowel cancer: Tenesmus is an unusual warning symptom relating to polyps – what is it?

Deborah James leaves hospital after bowel cancer surgery

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Bowel Cancer UK says one in 15 men and one in 18 women will be diagnosed with bowel cancer during their lifetime. Depending on where the cancer starts, bowel cancer is sometimes called colon or rectal cancer. Tenesmus is a condition occurring due to a number of different health conditions including bowel cancer. What is it?

Tenesmus is the feeling that you need to pass stools, even though your bowels are already empty. It may involve straining, pain, and cramping.

Tenesmus is not a disease on its own. Rather, it’s a symptom of another medical problem.

Often, it’s a sign of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but you may get the sensation with a variety of conditions.

Sometimes it can be a symptom of another problem like constipation, infection or a non-cancerous growth (a polyp) or cancer in the bowel.

Rectal tenesmus is a feeling of being unable to empty the large bowel of stool, even if there is nothing left to expel.

The condition can be painful, especially if there is cramping or other digestive symptoms alongside it.

The symptoms can come and go, or they may persist long term.

Tenesmus often refers to cramping rectal pain and gives a person the feeling that they need to have a bowel movement, even if they’re already had one.

Why it occurs

It’s believed that inflammation in the bowel may affect the nerves that control the excretion of waste.

When these nerves are overstimulated, they may send a signal to your brain saying there’s still material in the bowel.

That can trigger the muscles in the gut that are used to push out faeces.

Those muscles contract, so your body thinks it needs to have a bowel movement, but really there’s nothing in the colon.

Another possible cause of tenesmus is scarring in the bowel brought on by severe diarrhoea or constipation.

When this scar tissue builds up, it makes it difficult to pass stool.

It may also cause you to feel as if there’s more in the bowel than there actually is.

Sores or growths around the rectum or in the colon can do the same.

According to Mayo Clinic, treatment for bowel cancer usually involves surgery to remove the cancer.

Other treatments, such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy, might also be recommended.

If it’s detected early enough; treatment can cure bowel cancer and stop it coming back.

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