Change in shape Thin stools are a sign of colon cancer. Any time you notice a narrow or ribbon-like stool, it indicates changes in your colon.
Colon cancer can cause bleeding in the digestive tract and make your stool a dark brown, maroon, or black.
One of the first signs of colon cancer may be a change in your bowel habits. For example, you may begin having constipation, diarrhea or narrow stools. All of these changes can be normal if they are temporary, but you should mention them to your doctor if they don't go away after a few days.
Anorexia, fever, fatigue, pain in the abdomen, irritation, pain, and blood during stool passing, bowel movement shifts, loss of appetite, and weight loss are potential colon cancer symptoms when the patient's liver is affected.
Most patients with bowel cancer present with one of the following symptom combinations: a persistent change in bowel habit, causing them to go to the toilet more often and pass looser stools, usually together with blood on or in their stools.
Abdominal pain, aches, or cramps may be symptoms of colorectal cancer. If you have any symptoms that worry you, be sure to see your doctor right away.
Many cases of colon cancer have no symptoms. If there are symptoms, the following may indicate colon cancer: Abdominal pain and tenderness in the lower abdomen.
Bowel obstruction
intermittent, and occasionally severe, abdominal pain – this is always brought on by eating. unintentional weight loss – with persistent abdominal pain. constant swelling of the tummy – with abdominal pain. being sick – with constant abdominal swelling.
Colon cancer, or cancer that begins in the lower part of the digestive tract, usually forms from a collection of benign (noncancerous) cells called an adenomatous polyp. Most of these polyps will not become malignant (cancerous), but some can slowly turn into cancer over the course of about 10-15 years.
Nausea and vomiting can occur if a colon or rectal tumor is obstructing the bowel and inhibiting the passage of liquid or solid waste or gas. Bowel blockage can also be accompanied by painful abdominal cramps, bloating and constipation.
Lack of regular physical activity. A diet low in fruit and vegetables. A low-fiber and high-fat diet, or a diet high in processed meats. Overweight and obesity.
Get with FIT
FIT kits, provided by your doctor or laboratory, allow you to conveniently screen for colon cancer with ease in the privacy of your home. In just a few quick steps, you will use the provided materials to collect a small sample of your stool (poop). The stool sample will be sent to a lab for testing.
Myth: I don't need a colonoscopy because I'm not having any symptoms. Fact: Many people are diagnosed with colon cancer when they are feeling just fine. People don't think they can have colon cancer if they feel OK, but they most certainly can.
No blood test can tell you if you have colon cancer. But your doctor may test your blood for clues about your overall health, such as kidney and liver function tests. Your doctor may also test your blood for a chemical sometimes produced by colon cancers (carcinoembryonic antigen, or CEA).
Some domestic physicians considered simple diarrhea had less correlation with colon cancer [3]. In our study, outpatients with abdominal pain, diarrhea and constipation showed no difference in the incidence of colon cancer, which indicates that the colonoscopy cannot be determined only by simply symptom.
Virtual colonoscopy.
“Colonoscopy is the only recommended screening for colon cancer that can determine if you have precancerous growths and treat them,” Ford said. “Colonoscopies are a lot easier to go through than to go through colon surgery or chemotherapy or end up with an ostomy,” she added.
Stool tests.
Currently, three types of stool tests are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to screen for colorectal cancer: guaiac FOBT (gFOBT); the fecal immunochemical (or immunohistochemical) test (FIT, also known as iFOBT); and multitargeted stool DNA testing (also known as FIT-DNA).
Colorectal cancer doesn't just appear suddenly. It starts as a small growth on your colon, called a polyp, which rarely causes symptoms. If left alone over many years, polyps can grow into cancer. The only way to know it's there is to look.
Both irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and colorectal cancers are possible culprits, but they're sometimes confused because of their similar symptoms. The main difference? While both may result in abdominal discomfort, colon cancer is often accompanied by fatigue, bloody stool, and/or unexplained weight loss as well.
You may feel a colicky type pain, or vague discomfort in your abdomen. You may also feel generally unwell, for example listless or tired, because you have been losing blood from the bowel and may have become anaemic (lack of red blood cells).