Noticing blood in your stool can be frightening. The moment you see it, thousands of permutation combinations make their way through your mind, mostly thinking it to be a sign of a life-threatening disease. According to experts, a bloody stool can be a symptom of colon cancer - a type of cancer that forms in the tissues of the colon and rectum, the first and last parts of the large intestine.

Though treatable and often curable if localized to the bowel, colon or colorectal cancer must be diagnosed well in time for that.

Doctors say if you see bright red blood when you poop, it is likely coming from a source in your colon or rectum, which points to an internal or external hemorrhoid, fissure, inflammatory bowel disease – like Crohn’s Disease, or even colon cancer.

If the colour of your blood is dark and has a tar-like consistency, it can be leaking from your upper intestine and could be due to an ulcer, which bleeds occasionally

However, when comes mixed with stool, it can be released from your rectum indicating colorectal cancer. And so, it is best to immediately see your doctor and book tests to find out what it actually is.

According to doctors, colon cancer develops from polyps or growths in the inner lining of your colon. If colon cancer is not detected or treated well in time, it spreads to many other areas of your body and can be life-threatening.

Statistics say the risk of developing colorectal cancer is about 1 in 23 for men and 1 in 25 for women. However, the risk is increasing in younger adults, with people born after 1990 having twice the risk of developing colon cancer than those born in 1950.

Other than bloody stool, doctors say you can also have colon cancer without any symptoms. However, if you do notice some signs they can be similar to many other less serious conditions as well. A few common signs are:

If you are noticing persistent constipation or diarrhoea, there is some problem you are undergoing

Visit your doctor if you have belly pain with no known cause, that does not go away or hurts a lot.

If you are feeling bloating in your tummy all the time, which lasts for more than a week it can be due to colon cancer

If you notice an unexplained drop in your body weight when you are not trying to lose weight, get yourself checked

Recurrent bouts of vomiting and nausea for no known reason can be a sign of this cancer

Fatigue, tiredness, and breathlessness are all symptoms of anemia – which is a symptom of colon cancer.