Cancer Resources

Colon cancer effects 7% of Americans and can be devastating. There is no known cure for colon cancer so early and frequent screening is necessary. The majority of cases begin as simple non-cancerous clusters of cells which are known as adenomatous polyps. While these polyps are benign, over time they can develop into colon cancers.

Adenomatous polyps themselves can be small and create very few or no symptoms at all. This is why screening is so important – once your doctor notes the presence of polyps he can remove them to prevent them turning cancerous.

But what if you have not had a screening? How do you recognize the symptoms of colon cancer? The first thing to note is that a lot of people with colorectal cancer have no symptoms at all in the disease’s early stages. When symptoms do appear they can vary greatly based on the cancer’s location and size. Continue reading ‘Do I Have Colon Cancer Symptoms?’ »

Colon cancer is a serious disease, as are all types of cancer. Noticing little changes in your body will help you to realize that something could possibly be wrong, resulting in early detection and treatment or cure of this devastating disease. There are actually several different symptoms that can be related to this cancer.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of colon cancer can take a while to become detectable. Taking notice of your normal bowel habits can be of benefit in the event that something does go wrong. The following are symptoms of this cancer:

· A change in your bowel habits. Whether it is constipation, diarrhea, or any other change in the consistency of your bowel movements, these are all important signs to take note of in your daily routine and can help you catch this disease in the earlier stages.
· Rectal bleeding. Patients often dismiss rectal bleeding as just being hemorrhoids. Don’t let this happen to you. Usually with cancer, the bleeding will continue. It may stop for a while, but it will always come back.
· Blood in your stool. You may notice that there is blood whenever you have a bowel movement. You may not actually notice any blood between movements. Continue reading ‘Colon Cancer Symptoms and Information’ »

Symptoms of colon cancer can be sneaky, because we all have some of these symptoms once in a while. The time to be concerned is if the symptoms persist for two weeks or more. We all have bowel movements and it is alright to talk to your doctor about your bowel habits.

Changes in bowel habits can be a clue to the fact that our colon is not healthy. This doesn’t necessarily mean there is a significant problem, but if these changes continue over a couple weeks, it is time to talk to the doctor. A change is anything that is different for us. It may be constipation when this has never been a problem for you before or it may be diarrhea that lasts for two weeks. The first thing to consider, of course, is what have you been eating? We all have bouts of constipation, if we aren’t getting enough fruits and vegetables; so the first thing we should do is increase or start eating fruits and vegetables. Diarrhea hits if we eat too many fruits and vegetables, or too much greasy food, or if we eat something that has spoiled. You should decrease the amounts of fruits and vegetables, and or the amount of fried foods, when you develop diarrhea. A bacteria or “bug” that is going around can gives you diarrhea and, in and of itself, isn’t a cause to panic about symptoms of colon cancer. But if these symptoms go on for 2 or more weeks, then it is time to call your doctor. Continue reading ‘Symptoms Of Colon Cancer Explained’ »

Colon cancer is a serious problem and unfortunately affects a great many people. If not detected early, it can cause significant damage and death. So while early detection is key, here are some advanced colon cancer symptoms to be aware of.

First of all it is very unfortunate that many people have no idea they have colon cancer until the symptoms are quite advanced. But in earlier stages, some common symptoms may include fatigue, night sweats, anemia, blood in the stool, diarrhea, constipation, lack of bowel movements or pain in the right shoulder.

It is particularly important to address the situation where you find blood in the stool. There are many reasons why blood might show up in the stool and they have nothing to do with cancer. However this is something which should not be ignored and it is always a good idea to check it out with your Doctor to be sure. Continue reading ‘Advanced Colon Cancer Symptoms’ »

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Colon cancer is of major concern today and especially for those of us over fifty years old. There is much written about it of late so you have many resources at your disposal.

Here we will briefly go over some of the things to look out for if you’re concerned. Please note that your best resource if you have any concerns is your doctor.

Although colon cancer can be life threatening, this cancer has a good survival rate if caught early enough, so be vigilant. Make sure you have regular checkups and tests as prescribed. Continue reading ‘Colon Cancer Symptoms and Signs: Know What to Look For’ »

The colon (together with the rectum) are part of the large intestine (bowel). The colon is a muscular tube that is about five feet long. It absorbs water and nutrients from food passing through. The rectum, the lower six inches of the digestive tract, serves as a holding place for stool, which then passes out of the body through the anus. The colon is divided into four sections: the ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, and sigmoid colon. Most colorectal cancers arise in the sigmoid colon — the portion just above the rectum. They usually start in the innermost layer and can grow through some or all of the several tissue layers that make up the colon and rectum. Cancer can, however, develop in any portion of the colon. The extent to which a cancer penetrates the various tissue layers of the colon determines the stage of the disease.

What is Colon Cancer? Colon and rectal cancers are the second most prevalent type after lung cancer among men, and the third most prevalent after breast cancer and lung cancer in women. Most colorectal types grow slowly over a period of several years, often beginning as small benign growths called polyps. Removing these polyps early, before they become malignant, is an effective means of preventing colorectal cancer. If the epithelia cells (the cells in the mucous membrane of the colon) turn cancerous and begin to grow and replicate in an abnormal and uncontrolled way, the body cannot organize these cells for normal function and the cells form a mass that is called a tumor. Malignant tumors in the colon can eventually penetrate through the colon and spread to other parts of the body, crowding and destroying normal cells. Continue reading ‘Colon Cancer: Don’t Miss The Symptoms’ »

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Colon or colorectal cancer can affect anyone, even though the people over the age of 50 are in higher risk of getting this disease. Its symptoms can mimic the ones of less dangerous conditions, so it is a good idea to be aware of them and to know when to see a doctor for them.

The unexplained changes in the bowel movement are the first sings of colon cancer. Some sufferers have diarrhea while others have constipation. Having any of these problems for more than 2 or 3 weeks is certainly a red flag.

In many cases, the symptoms are more specific. Not being able to empty the bowel completely rectal cramping and urgency to move the bowels are other disturbing signs. Having long and think stools that have the shape of pencils also signals a problem. Continue reading ‘Colon Cancer Symptoms – When to See a Doctor’ »

Colon cancer is a disease characterized by the uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in the colon and the formation of tumors from these cells. Despite the presence of polyps in the human large intestine, presentation of colon cancer symptoms at an early stage is very low. In some cases, it may not even manifest symptoms. Today, colon cancer is the second leading malignancy in the United States and the fourth worldwide. The combination of these facts gives rise to the importance of colon screening methods aimed at determining early stages of colon cancer.

There are a number of screening methods available for colon cancer detection. These tests are done alone or in combination with other tests in order to distinguish colon cancer from other intestinal diseases. Hereunder is a list of these screening and detection procedures. Continue reading ‘What Colon Cancer Symptoms Are Found During Screening?’ »

The only way to know if you have colorectal cancer is a biopsy of the colon or rectal area that appears cancerous. These tests can be performed by a gastrointerologist or a colon and rectal surgeon. What are the symptoms that should send you to one of these specialists for testing?

Often the first symptom is bright red rectal bleeding. This does not always mean that you have colon cancer but you should seek medical care for this symptom as colorectal cancers often bleed. If the cancer is far from the rectum instead of bright red bleeding, a sign of colon cancer is dark, tarry stools, another symptom that should send you straight to the doctor. Continue reading ‘Colon Cancer Symptoms – Finding Out If You Have Colorectal Cancer’ »