Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers to be diagnosed in the UK. You should consider speaking to a doctor if you notice that your stools are looser than normal.

Bowel cancer is a general term for any cancer that develops in the large bowel, and it may sometimes be known as colon or rectal cancer.

The early warning signs of bowel cancer can be very subtle, and many people may not be aware that they’re at risk.

That’s why it’s crucial that you always check your stools after using the toilet.

One of the most common warning signs of bowel cancer is noticing a small change to your poo.

Persistently having looser stools could be caused by bowel cancer, warned charity Bowel Cancer UK.

You may even feel like you need to pass stools more often, or that you’re not going to the toilet enough.

Some patients have also explained that they felt as if their bowels were never truly empty.

You should speak to a doctor if you ever notice a small change to your toilet habits that last longer than four weeks.

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“Bowel cancer is very treatable but the earlier it’s diagnosed, the easier it is to treat,” said the charity.

“If you have any symptoms, don’t be embarrassed and don’t ignore them. Doctors are used to seeing lots of people with bowel problems.

“Tell your GP if you have noticed any persistent and unexplained changes in your bowel habit, especially if you also have bleeding from your back passage.

“You may have looser poo and you may need to poo more often than normal. Or you may feel as though you’re not going to the toilet often enough or you might not feel as though you’re not fully emptying your bowels.”

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But, just because you have looser stools, it doesn’t necessarily mean the you have bowel cancer.

You should still have it checked by a doctor if you also develop any other symptoms of bowel cancer, however.

Finding blood in your poo, and persistent abdominal pain could also be caused by the disease.

The symptoms are far more likely to be caused by something less serious, including constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, or Crohn’s disease.

More than 40,000 new cases of bowel cancer are diagnosed in the UK every year.

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You could lower your risk of bowel cancer by making some small diet or lifestyle changes.

Eating large amounts of red and processed meats have been linked with a higher likelihood of bowel cancer.

Smoking, drinking too much alcohol and obesity could also lead to the disease, the NHS warned.

More than 90 per cent of all bowel cancer causes occur in people over the age of 50.

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