What your GP might do

If you have any of the three main bowel symptoms, bleeding from the bottom - blood in the poo, a change in your bowel habits or discomfort or pain in your tummy your doctor will probably do one or all of the following:

Examine your abdomen – that means feel it for any lumps
Do a digital examination of your back passage with a gloved finger
Do a simple blood test to check whether you are anaemic

You shouldn't let this put you off seeing your doctor as these won't hurt you and will only be necessary in some cases, particularly in older patients.
If your doctor doesn’t suggest any of these tests, you could encourage them by asking why not?