Singapore Medical Guide | Singapore Healthcare

This is a very common question that most patients pose. Are there any alarm symptoms that tell me if I might have colorectal cancer? The truth is, there are none. Most colorectal cancers do not present with symptoms and by the time symptoms appear, the tumour is usually already in its later stages. Nevertheless, some of the worrying symptoms that may prompt you to seek medical attention are listed below.

 Bleeding
 Change in bowel habits
 Abdominal bloating and discomfort
 Difficulty or pain on passing motion
 Low blood count (Anemia)
 Weight loss
 Abdominal mass

It is easy to see why many patients do not seek medical attention early enough. How many of us have had at least one or two of these symptoms at some point in our lives? How many of us have ignored it, attributing it to piles? Most of these symptoms may be caused by simple gastroenteritis or food poisoning. However, if these symptoms persist for more than 2 weeks at a time, medical attention should be sought.

The doctor would usually start by asking a series of questions pertaining to your symptoms. Thereafter, he will examine your abdomen. A rectal examination will then be carried out to ensure that you do not have rectal tumours that may be easily felt. He may then refer you on for a specialist consultation and colonoscopy if he feels that this is necessary.

A colonoscopy in Singapore is usually performed by a specialist colorectal or general surgeon or a gastroenterologist. This involves first administering bowel preparation orally in order to facilitate bowel evacuation. This is sometimes considered medically sanctioned colon cleansing, and allows the colonoscopist to have a better view of the inner lining of the colon and rectum. The procedure itself is usually performed under sedation, with the patient resting on the side. The tube, with an inbuilt camera at its tip, is then passed into the anus, with the images transmitted onto a monitor. Under the guidance of the colonoscopist, the scope is passed through the entire length of the colon. Any lesions detected are usually biopsied or sampled, and any polyps will be removed. This is by far still the gold standard in terms of investigations for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer.