The main symptom of rectal cancer and hemorrhoids is blood in the stool, but each of them has its own characteristics when observed carefully. 1. Blood color: Hemorrhoids (internal hemorrhoids) bleeding is more red and fresh than rectal cancer bleeding, and rectal cancer bleeding is often pus-like; 2. Blood shape: internal hemorrhoids bleeding is mostly manifested as sticky blood on the external surface of the stool, blood dripping, blood spraying or blood on the stool paper after the stool, etc. If the bleeding is small, only blood can be seen, and if the bleeding is large, it can even cause shock or severe anemia; rectal cancer bleeding is often mixed with blood in the stool, pus-blood stool or dark red blood stool; 3. Internal hemorrhoid bleeding mostly has triggering factors, such as constipation, diarrhea, etc. It often only manifests as bleeding, and in heavy cases, the nucleus of hemorrhoid can come out of the anus when defecating with great effort; if combined with infection or imbibition, pain can occur. Rectal cancer blood in stool is often accompanied by changes in stool habit and rectal irritation symptoms, such as significantly increased frequency of stool, anal swelling, feeling of urgency and heaviness, significantly smaller and deformed stool column, strenuous or difficult defecation, and abdominal pain and bloating due to intestinal obstruction in a few cases. Rectal cancer generally does not show the phenomenon of mass prolapse. The above points can be used as a preliminary distinction. The main thing is to raise the vigilance of doctors and patients, regardless of age, should pay great attention to blood in the stool, and do relevant examinations such as anal examination, finger examination, and if necessary, perform colonoscopy as soon as possible to prevent misdiagnosis of rectal cancer. It is worth noting that middle-aged and elderly patients, especially men, who are physically fit and have blood in the stool only recently, accompanied by rectal irritation symptoms such as frequent stool, fine stool and change in bowel habits, most of them may be rectal cancer, which should be diagnosed by colonoscopy as soon as possible.