Colon cancer is considered a silent disease. Most of the time there are no symptoms. The symptoms that people may experience include a change in bowel habits, abdominal pain, blood in the stool, and weight loss. If individuals have these symptoms, the disease may already have advanced.
Signs and symptoms of bowel cancer
The 3 main symptoms of bowel cancer are blood in the stools (faeces), a change in bowel habit, such as more frequent, looser stools, and abdominal (tummy) pain. However, these symptoms are very common.
Abdominal symptoms such as pain, bloating or rectal bleeding are often signs of an abnormal process in the left side of your colon. “Right-sided colon cancers tend to be asymptomatic or cause these symptoms only when they are at an advanced stage and fairly large.
Stomach bloating, distention, cramps or pain in the abdominal or bowel region can be symptoms of colon or rectal cancer. These are common issues that can also be caused by a number of conditions, including diet-related gastrointestinal distress, Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.
Many cases of colon cancer have no symptoms. If there are symptoms, the following may indicate colon cancer: Abdominal pain and tenderness in the lower abdomen.
Abdominal pain, aches, or cramps may be symptoms of colorectal cancer. If you have any symptoms that worry you, be sure to see your doctor right away.
A persistent change in your bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation or a change in the consistency of your stool. Rectal bleeding or blood in your stool. Persistent abdominal discomfort, such as cramps, gas or pain. A feeling that your bowel doesn't empty completely.
Colon cancer, or cancer that begins in the lower part of the digestive tract, usually forms from a collection of benign (noncancerous) cells called an adenomatous polyp. Most of these polyps will not become malignant (cancerous), but some can slowly turn into cancer over the course of about 10-15 years.
Because early stages of colon cancer can go unnoticed for years, screening is important for early detection. It is generally recommended that individuals at average risk for colon cancer receive a screening test every 10 years.
Colorectal cancers can often bleed into the digestive tract. Sometimes the blood can be seen in the stool or make it look darker, but often the stool looks normal.
There are many common conditions that can affect the health of our bowels, and many have symptoms similar to bowel cancer. These conditions include (but aren't limited to) piles (haemorrhoids), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), anal fissures, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), diverticular disease, and diarrhoea.
Colon cancer most often spreads to the liver, but it can also spread to other places like the lungs, brain, peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), or to distant lymph nodes. In most cases surgery is unlikely to cure these cancers.
No blood test can tell you if you have colon cancer. But your doctor may test your blood for clues about your overall health, such as kidney and liver function tests. Your doctor may also test your blood for a chemical sometimes produced by colon cancers (carcinoembryonic antigen, or CEA).
Thin stools are a sign of colon cancer. Any time you notice a narrow or ribbon-like stool, it indicates changes in your colon.
Fatigue is the most common and least definitive of symptoms associated with colon cancer. Fatigue can happen if polyps or tumors bleed into the digestive tract, leading to a loss of iron over time and possibly iron-deficiency anemia.
Screening for colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer doesn't just appear suddenly. It starts as a small growth on your colon, called a polyp, which rarely causes symptoms. If left alone over many years, polyps can grow into cancer. The only way to know it's there is to look.
Cancer of the colon is a highly treatable and often curable disease when localized to the bowel. Surgery is the primary form of treatment and results in cure in approximately 50% of the patients. Recurrence following surgery is a major problem and is often the ultimate cause of death.
Colorectal cancer symptoms may be minor or non-existent during the early stages of the disease, although there may be some early warning signs. The symptoms of colorectal cancer may not develop until the disease has progressed into stage 2 or beyond.
Colorectal cancer can occur in young adults and teenagers, but the majority of colorectal cancers occur in people older than 50. For colon cancer, the average age at the time of diagnosis for men is 68 and for women is 72.
Despite these concerns, there may be subtle clues that suggest the onset of a malignancy, including: Narrow "pencil" stools: Caused by the narrowing of the intestinal passage as the tumor starts to grow. Pain with defecation: Also known as dyschezia, a symptom commonly associated with rectal cancer.
Lack of regular physical activity. A diet low in fruit and vegetables. A low-fiber and high-fat diet, or a diet high in processed meats. Overweight and obesity.
Both irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and colorectal cancers are possible culprits, but they're sometimes confused because of their similar symptoms. The main difference? While both may result in abdominal discomfort, colon cancer is often accompanied by fatigue, bloody stool, and/or unexplained weight loss as well.
Blood from higher up in the bowel doesn't look bright red. It goes dark red or black and can make your poo look like tar. This type of bleeding can be a sign of cancer higher up the bowel.