Hello Newbietothis and thanks for posting,

I am sorry to learn that you are having symptoms that are worrying you.

Quite a few things can be measured in a blood test and I don't know what your doctor looked at so I can't answer your question very well. I expect it is possible to have bowel cancer with broadly normal blood tests but this would probably depend on the situation and a lot of the time blood tests would show something like inflammation or signs that someone has been bleeding. There isn't a blood test for bowel cancer as such but blood tests are part of the overall picture of someone's health and help doctors decide what might be the matter. 

Do talk this over with your doctor and ask them what they want to do next to find out what is causing these symptoms. Bear in mind that the very same symptoms that can occur because of cancer can also occur for other reasons so there can usually be other explanations for what is going on.

A lot of people go online looking for answers, but this can cause more and often unnecessary worry. It is usually better to get some input from your doctor although I appreciate that it can be difficult  to get in touch with them at the moment because of the pressures from the pandemic.

If you want to talk anything over please do give us a call on Freephone 0808 800 4040, we are around 9-5, weekdays (not BHs). 

Wishing you the best,

Julia

Hi my dad was diagnosed with bowel cancer a month ago. His symptoms where pain in the tummy area. Bloating when eating. Loss of appetite. Tiredness and unintentional weight gain. Bloods came back normal. Poo sample was done to test for any blood in it which was positive. He was given a two week referral but started being sick too. So we took him to a and e. Turns out it's stage 4 cancer that my dad has. And they said he must have had it years. As it's now spread. If they have sent your stool off and it is clear that's a positive sign. 
 

good luck and I hope it isn't what you're thinking. 
sending love. 

Thanks very much for your reply & im really sorry to hear about your dad. My stools samples have come back clear for IBD & any bacterial infection, I've been referred now for a colonoscopy so hopefully I'll get some answers then.