Symptoms of Colorectal Colon Cancer

In addition to checking your family history, stool sample and other screening procedures, if caught early it can make a big difference towards a successful recovery.

The symptoms of colon cancer won’t necessarily give you an iron clad method of detection, but they can be an important step on getting a diagnosis early.

If you notice any of these symptoms, it would be best to consult with your doctor for a proper screening test to rule for anything out of the ordinary.

Symptoms of Colorectal Colon Cancer

- Thinner stool size than normal.

- Stool consistency change of unknown origin (constipation or diarrhea).

- Blocked bowels (obstruction).

- Regularly feeling like you have to eliminate your bowels but nothing coming out.

- Hardness in lower stomach area.

- Painful bowels.

- Cramps in bowel area for a few days or longer.

- A full or bloated stomach.

- Gas pains for a prolonged period.

- Losing weight from unknown cause.

- Iron based anemia from losing blood in stool.

- Fatigue for an extended period of time.

Causes of Colon Cancer

- Prior history of polyps.

- Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

- Breast, ovarian and uterine cancer amongst family members.

- Aged 50 or greater.

You have a greater probability of getting colon cancer if it runs in your family, especially from a first degree relative (parents and siblings). If you have a family history of colon cancer it is a good idea to get screened by your doctor 10 years before their age of diagnosis.

This extra time should give you a greater chance to catch it early and thus guarantee you a better survival rate if it should arise. So… if your aunt had been diagnosed at age 62, then screening would start after your 52nd birthday.

If you happen to get any of these colon cancer symptoms you would be better off not waiting. If you do happen to have colon cancer, the longer you wait the lower your survival rate eventually gets.