The early symptoms of rectal cancer generally include five main signs:

The first early symptom is bloody stool, which is the earliest and most common symptom of rectal cancer.

The second symptom is mucous bloody stool. Large cauliflower-like tumor masses generally secrete a large amount of mucus, which can cause mucous bloody stool.

The third is a change in bowel habits. What does a change in bowel habits mean? It means that sometimes there can be diarrhea, sometimes constipation, or an alternation of constipation and diarrhea, indicating a change in bowel habits. There can even be changes in the shape of the stool, which is the third symptom.

The fourth symptom is a feeling of heaviness or fullness in the perineum or anus.

The fifth symptom can cause abdominal pain. It can cause pain in the lower abdomen, a sensation of a foreign body in the intestine, and even bloating. For instance, constipation can lead to difficulty in passing stool, which in turn can cause bloating and abdominal pain. These are primarily the five early symptoms.