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COLUM TUMOR – RIGHT
The symptoms of colon and rectal cancer – such as constipation, hemorrhoids, and cramps – can mimic what you could easily experience on a daily basis. If the symptoms persist, consult your doctor.
COLON CANCER: SYMPTOMS
Whatever your age, the following symptoms require a visit to the doctor:
- A change in bowel habits – such as diarrhea, constipation, or stool narrowing – that lasts more than a few days
- Rectal bleeding with bright red blood
- Blood in the stool, which may seem dark
- Cramps or abdominal pain (belly)
- Weakness and fatigue
- Involuntary weight loss
Although people with colorectal cancer can not have rectal bleeding or blood in the stool, it is, for many people, the most identifiable signs of the disease.
These symptoms appear when the cancer bleeds in the digestive tract. This can happen very slowly over the years and, as such, it may not even be obvious that there is blood in the stool.
Over time, this continuous blood loss can result in a low number of red blood cells, a condition called anemia.
Blood tests that diagnose anemia may be the first step in the diagnosis process of colorectal cancer.
HOW TO KNOW IF I HAVE A COLON TUMOR: THE IMPORTANCE OF CANCER PREVENTION
The symptoms of colon cancer and rectal cancer are not always easy to recognize, which is a missed opportunity for early detection.
First of all, many people with colon and rectal tumors (known as colorectal cancer) have no symptoms until the disease reaches a more advanced stage, when is more difficult to treat.
This is why screening tests for apparently unaffected people are of paramount importance. Indeed, the decline in colorectal cancer deaths in recent decades is due in part to the intensification of screening efforts that identify asymptomatic tumors.
Screening tests can also identify abnormal growths called colorectal polyps, some of which may be precancerous. When doctors eliminate potentially dangerous polyps, they block cancer before it appears.
Another complication in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer is that, even in the case of symptoms, patients or physicians can both have other common conditions, such as hemorrhoids or irritable bowel syndrome.
In addition, many young people think that colorectal cancer only affects the elderly and therefore allow them to ignore the symptoms.
However, while most colorectal cancers are still observed in the elderly, the rates for men and women under 50 are increasing significantly. In response to this disturbing trend, the American Cancer Society changed its guidelines in 2018 to recommend that regular screening of people at average risk of colorectal cancer start at age 45 rather than at age 50.
This article is for information only. In the presence of these symptoms, in whole or in part, it is always suggested to check with your doctor.
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