What are the early warning signs of colorectal cancer?

The main warning signs of colorectal cancer are: blood in stool (bright red or dark), change in bowel habits (new constipation, diarrhoea, alternating pattern), pencil-thin stools, unintended weight loss, abdominal pain or cramping, feeling that the bowel is never fully empty (tenesmus), and unexplained anaemia. These symptoms above age 45 always warrant colonoscopy.

Can colorectal cancer be cured?

Yes - early-stage colorectal cancer (stages I and II, confined to the colon wall) has 5-year survival rates of 80-90% with surgical resection. Stage III (lymph node involvement) has 50-70% 5-year survival with surgery plus chemotherapy. Stage IV (metastatic) has 10-20% 5-year survival. This is why early detection through colonoscopy is so critical - the same cancer diagnosed at stage I vs stage IV has dramatically different outcomes.