Colon Cancer Symptoms and Signs

It would be very hard to understand what colon cancer is if one does not know about the different functions that the colon is supposed to perform. Colon is a part of the human digestive system and performs the function of absorbing nutrients from the food, water and any other product consumed throughout the day.

Colon Cancer

Colon cancer, also popularly known as large bowel cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells start to grow in the intestines. In a majority of cases, the tumors that develop would be benign, but if it is not removed well in time they can become malignant. Record books clearly state that this form of cancer is second on the list of those to which humans are most susceptible. To add to this grievance, it is very difficult to diagnose colon cancer in its preliminary stages. This requires the people to be more aware so that they can consult with a physician as soon as they pick up possible signs of colon cancer.

Reasons to know the Symptoms

There are numerous reasons so as to why an individual should know about colon cancer symptoms and signs. By knowing about them, not only does identification become easier but so does the treatment. Medically it has been known that the earlier any form of cancer is reported, the better are the chances of full recovery. There may be times when the symptoms may point to something else or nothing at all, but it is always better to take precautionary measures instead of suffering due to a late discovery.

Forms of Colon Cancer

The forms of Colon Cancer can broadly be divided into three forms. Regional cancer i.e. when the spread of cancer is limited to a certain area, constitutional cancer i.e. when the spread of cancer is unconstrained and has affected the complete body and metastatic cancer i.e. when the cancer has affected the different organs and may have also spread to the blood stream. As one can understand, the first form is the easiest to cure than the second, which in turn is easier to cure than the third.

Symptoms and Signs

The several signs and symptoms of which the more prominent ones are listed below:

a) Sudden and drastic change in the bowel habits. This includes experiencing diarrhea or constipation for more than one or two weeks in a row. Remember that under perfectly healthy conditions, these problems should be over in less than a week’s time.
b) Loosing blood with stool is another sign of colon cancer. However, it may also happen due to Crohn’s disease or haemorrhoids.
c) Other possible signs include abdominal pain, stomach cramps, fatigue and a bloated feeling.