Signs You May Have Colon Cancer

The scary truth is that it is very much possible for someone to have the disease without noticing any signs of colon cancer. Most patients do not feel symptoms until their tumors are quite advanced. But watch out for signs of colon cancer, and when you feel them, go visit your doctor. The good news is that early detection of colon cancer often leads to a complete cure.

But first, what exactly is colon cancer? Colon cancer refers to cancer that develops in the colon, which is part of the digestive system. The digestive system processes food for energy and gets rid of solid waste matter. After you chew and swallow your food, it travels down to your stomach, where it is partially broken down and sent to the small intestine, which can reach up to 20 feet long.

The small intestine, which joins the colon in the lower right of your abdomen, continues to break the food down, absorbing most of the nutrients. The food then travels to the colon, also called the large intestine. The colon is a muscular tube about five to six feet long, and it continues to absorb water and nutrients from the food.

The colon also serves as a storage place for solid waste matter, which becomes feces and moves on into the rectum, the digestive system’s last six inches. From there, it passes out of the body through the anus.

The colon has four sections, the walls of each having several layers of tissue. Colon cancer develops in the innermost layer and can grow through some or all of the other layers. In most cases, the cancer develops gradually over a period of many years, without exhibiting any signs of colon cancer.

Before a cancer develops, a non-cancerous tumor called a polyp usually develops in the lining of the colon. This can eventually change into cancer. Certain kinds of polyps, called adenomas, have a high tendency to become cancerous. Almost a hundred percent of colon cancers are adenocarcinomas, which are cancers of the glandular cells that line the inside layer of the wall of the colon.

Here are some signs of colon cancer to watch out for:

• Changes in bowel movements. This is perhaps one of the best signs of colon cancer. If you move your bowels more or less, it can signal that the body is adjusting to something foreign within it.

• Weight loss and fatigue. Unexplainable weight loss and fatigue are indicators that a tumor is blocking nutrient absorption in the large intestine.

• Rectal bleeding. While blood in the stools (red if fresh or black if old) is one of the common signs of colon cancer, it can be caused by conditions other than cancer, including: hemorrhoids, minor tears around the rectal or anal areas, diverticulosis. However, having blood in the stool is still not normal, so it should never be ignored. Check with your doctor.

• In rare cases, pain or tenderness in the belly.

• Iron deficiency anemia. This may be due to unnoticed bleeding of the tumor. Tumors tend to bleed a lot.

• Abdominal mass or hardness in the abdomen. This could be one of the signs of colon cancer that indicates intestinal blockage by the tumor.

• Pain that feels like it is coming from the appendix may also indicate colon cancer.

If you feel any of these signs of colon cancer, make it a priority to visit your doctor.