Be Aware Of This Colon Cancer Symptoms Before It's Too Late

The appearance of colon cancer symptoms often go untreated because people assume they're from something else. For instance, bloody stools are often associated with hemorrhoids. Larger tumors that block the colon can result in constipation or abdominal pain, which one may assume is a reaction to food eaten recently. If the bowel becomes perforated or leaks, then this may cause vomiting, sudden weight loss, thin/ribbon-like stools and/or frequent bowel movements. The average duration of symptoms from onset to diagnosis is about 14 weeks, although the cancer can move from polyps to metastatic colon cancer slowly over the span of several years.

According to the American Cancer Society, the leading causes of colon cancer include colon polyps, cancer elsewhere in the body, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, a history of breast cancer or a family history of colon cancer. Researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Center and John Hopkins Medical Center have identified a genetic link for colon cancer, which is a defect in glycosylation enzymes. Other contributing factors include a poor diet (high-fat, low-fiber, red meat-filled diets) and smoking cigarettes. Also, 90% of those who have colon cancer are over 50, which is when screening should begin.

Screening of colon cancer symptoms can be done even when individuals feel fine. In fact, it is recommended for anyone over the age of 50. Patients will usually be given a fecal occult blood test, a sigmoidoscopy and/or a colonoscopy to look for polyps, which are abnormal cell growths that may eventually develop into cancerous tumors. If the doctor identifies colon cancer of some form, then more testing will be done to determine the extent of the cancer. For instance, Stage 0 is cancer on the innermost layer of the large intestine. Later, if left unchecked, the cancer can spread to the middle layers (stage I), through the muscle wall (stage II), into the lymph nodes (stage III) and to other organs (stage IV).

The prognosis for treatment of colon cancer symptoms is really good if caught early. The five-year survival rate for patients in Stage I is 93%. Other survival rates are as follows; 70% for Stage II, 56% for Stage III and 7% for Stage IV. As one can see, the results vary drastically, depending on how early colon cancer symptoms are spotted. Once the cancer has metastasized and spread throughout the body to other organs, like the liver, lungs, bladder, uterus and prostate, it can be very hard to eradicate. Regular screenings should begin at age 50 to ensure the best colon cancer treatment and the brightest prognosis.