Rectal cancer is a serious health condition that can manifest with various symptoms. Among the most common symptoms are bleeding from the rectum or blood in the stool. Changes in bowel habits can also provide important clues; these changes may appear as constipation, diarrhea, or excessive gas.
General symptoms of rectal cancer include: mucus in the stool, a feeling of incomplete evacuation, pain during defecation, severe abdominal pain and cramping, pencil-thin stools, unexplained weight loss, shortness of breath, and dizziness.