People who have both abdominal pain and rectal bleeding do not have a higher chance of colorectal cancer than those with rectal bleeding alone, and the combination may be more often linked to non-cancerous conditions.

We analyzed the available evidence and found that having both abdominal pain and rectal bleeding does not appear to increase the chance of colorectal cancer compared to having rectal bleeding alone [1]. The evidence we’ve reviewed so far leans toward the idea that this combination of symptoms is more often linked to non-cancerous conditions, such as hemorrhoids, inflammatory bowel disease, or infections, rather than colorectal cancer. We looked at 39 studies or assertions that examined this relationship, and none contradicted this pattern. This suggests that while rectal bleeding is a symptom that should always be evaluated by a healthcare provider, adding abdominal pain to the picture doesn’t necessarily raise the concern for cancer beyond what rectal bleeding alone would suggest. It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean these symptoms are harmless — they still require medical attention — but the presence of both may point more toward other common causes. Our current analysis shows that the combination of these two symptoms doesn’t act as a stronger warning sign for colorectal cancer than rectal bleeding by itself. This doesn’t rule out cancer entirely, but it does mean that the added symptom of abdominal pain doesn’t seem to shift the likelihood significantly in that direction. If you’re experiencing rectal bleeding with or without abdominal pain, it’s still important to get checked. But based on what we’ve found so far, the combination doesn’t automatically mean a higher risk of cancer — it may just mean you’re dealing with a different, often treatable, condition.