Early Signs of Colon Cancer

Due to some known or unknown reasons, sometimes cancerous cells are formed in certain parts of the body. These cancerous cells result in malignant tumors, multiply and spread to the neighboring parts and finally all over the body. This disease is known as cancer. There are several types of cancers like cancer of bones, cancer of blood cells, cancer of lymphocytes, cancer of the colon or the large intestine, etc. Cancer of any kind can be treated only when it is in the primary stage. If cancer reaches advanced stage, it is difficult to treat it. Therefore, it is essential to understand the early warning signs of any type of cancer.

Causes of Colon Cancer
A person suffers from colon cancer when cancerous cells start growing uncontrollably in the rectum, appendix or the colon. The colon and the rectal cancer are sometimes together referred as colorectal cancers. It is considered as one of the most common cancer types and also one of the most prominent cancer causing death among people, all over the world. Among the risk factors causing this disease, it is found that heredity and genetics are the most prominent factors causing colon cancer. Secondly, smoking and constantly having low fiber diet can also cause this disease. Sometimes, people suffering from Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis are also at a high risk of developing colon cancer.

Symptoms of Colon Cancer
Development of polyps is considered as the earliest sign of colon cancer. But, sometimes the polyps are very small, and hence, are not noticed. One should also remember that unexplained weight loss is a classic symptom of cancer and is observed in all types of cancer. Rectal bleeding is also one of the prominent signs. It is very necessary to diagnose the proper cause of rectal bleeding as sometimes it is confused with hemorrhoids.

• Changes in bowel movements
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Blood in stools
• Bloating
• Flatulence
• Abdominal pain
• Cramps
• Anemia
• Jaundice
• Reduced size of stool
• Bowel obstruction
• Fatigue

Apart from these, several other signs and symptoms are experienced by people, that may even be difficult to describe. The person may feel as if he needs to empty the bowel when actually there is no necessity. Therefore, the person feels as if his bowel has not been emptied completely. Abdominal pain and discomfort is also experienced in the places where the tumor is located. Sometimes, it is also found that people do not experience any symptom at an early stage at all.

Colon Cancer Treatment
If a person observes any of the above symptoms, it is essential to consult the doctor as early as possible. As some of the early signs are not easily noticed, it is recommended to undertake regular screening that will help in quick diagnose of the disease. The doctor will ask the person to undertake blood tests, X-ray, CT scan and Colonoscopy which will help in diagnosing this disease. The treatment varies according to stages or severity of the disease. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are the classic cancer treatment methods used in treating colon cancer. In primary stages, surgery will be effective in removing the polyps, or cancerous cells or even the part of the colon that is affected. Chemotherapy and radiation therapies are used if the cancer has spread in the other neighboring parts of the colon. In some cases, targeted drug therapy can also prove useful in treating colon cancer.

Most of the time, early signs of colon cancer are not diagnosed properly which results in the death of the person. One should remember that this can be avoided by identifying the signs and symptoms and undertaking treatment as early as possible.