Rectal cancer grows low in the bowel, close to the anus, so changes show up early—often in the bathroom or on the toilet paper.

Bright-red bleeding is the headline. You see blood on the paper or streaked on the stool, usually painless and often blamed on hemorrhoids.

Thin, ribbon-like stools are typical. The tumor narrows the passage, so bowel movements become pencil-skinny and hard to pass.

Urgency and tenesmus show up. You feel a strong need to go, yet only gas or mucus comes out, and the urge returns minutes later.

Mucus discharge is common. Clear or pink jelly coats the stool or drips into the bowl after you finish.

Cramping or a dull ache sits low in the pelvis and can feel like constant pressure.

Late signs include a hard lump you can feel near the anus, weight loss, or yellow skin—an alarm the cancer has spread.