Early Signs of Colon Cancer
What is colon cancer? It is one of the most dreaded types of cancer that has afflicted a lot of Americans. Colon cancer is also referred to as colorectal cancer. For the uninitiated, the colon is a portion of the intestines, which consist of the large and small intestines. The large intestine consists of the short rectum which is near the anus, and the long colon. About two-thirds of this type of cancer happens in the colon, while the other portion affects the rectum.
There are many symptoms associated with colon cancer. The symptoms of color cancer are diarrhea, abdominal pain, and constipation. However, symptoms may vary, so it is hard to tell if one is suffering from colon cancer. There are also cases in which there are no symptoms of colon cancer, yet the person is afflicted with the disease. But if you happen to find out that you have any symptom of colon cancer, you should contact a physician immediately. There are also cases in which people experience bleeding from their rectum, or having blood mixed with their stool. The common misconception is that these are symptoms of hemorrhoids, which is not always the case. It is important to get the right diagnosis to recommend the proper treatment of colon cancer particularly in the early stages. Usually, when cancer is treated in its early stages, there is a good chance of survival for the patient.
Here are some signs or symptoms of colon cancer: chronic problems with colon resulting to bowel movements, pain particularly in the lower part of the abdomen, iron deficiency anemia that is indicative of bleeding in the colon, significant weight loss, and changes in bowel habit. Other signs of colon cancer are hardness in the abdomen, diarrhea that occurs for a number of days, and pain in the appendix.
Symptoms of colon cancer indicate that there is something wrong in the body. However signs are defined by a physician or any health care professional. Having a single sign is not enough to define the condition of the patient. There are cases of cancer that do not profess any symptom until the disease reaches it latter stages.
Thus, it should be underlined that having one of the listed colon cancer signs does not mean you have colon cancer. You should just let your doctor know of the signs so that you will be diagnosed correctly.
