National Cancer Institute Overview Constipation, impaction, and bowel obstruction are common problems for oncology patients. The growth and spread of cancer, as well as its treatment, contribute to these conditions. Constipation is the slow movement of feces through the large intestine that results in the passage of dry, hard stool. This can result in discomfort or pain. Constipation may be annoying and uncomfortable, but fecal impaction can be life-threatening.
Impaction refers to the accumulation of dry, hardened feces in the rectum or colon.
The patient with fecal impaction may present with circulatory, cardiac, or respiratory symptoms rather than with gastrointestinal symptoms. In contrast to constipation or impaction, an intestinal obstruction is a partial or complete occlusion of the bowel lumen. Structural disorders, such as intraluminal and extraluminal bowel lesions caused by primary or metastatic tumor or postoperative adhesions, affect peristalsis and the maintenance of normal bowel function. These disorders can lead to total or partial obstruction of the bowel. Patients who have colostomies are at special risk of developing constipation.