Colon Cancer:15 Warning Signs & Symptoms You Should Not Ignore

Colon cancer is the most popular type of gastrointestinal cancer. It is more common than stomach cancer and esophageal cancer, and there are genetic but also inflammatory and dietary factors associated with the formation of these tumors. One of the features of colon cancer is how silent it tends to be and how patients are often diagnosed very late in the disease. That is because most of the signs and symptoms caused by colon cancer are mistaken with many other gastrointestinal diseases, and late diagnosis might result in poor prognosis.

Diagnosing colon cancer can be quite difficult. Even after suspecting the disease with clinical findings, your doctor might require a complete blood count, liver function tests, and certain blood tests specific for colon cancer, such as serum carcinoembryonic antigen. Another way to diagnose colon cancer is through radiography, tomography, ultrasonography, and colonoscopy. In most cases, it should be confirmed with a biopsy, so not even finding a visible tumor is the same as cancer.

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If see yourself reflected in the list of signs and symptoms we will give you next, talk to your doctor as soon as possible to get a proper assessment of your individual health risks.

Abdominal pain

Pain is a common early sign in many different gastrointestinal problems, and it is often difficult to differentiate. It may range from a mild abdominal discomfort as a result of bloating to a dull and sustained pain as the tumor grows larger and starts compressing nerves as they do, to severe and sudden pain that may result from an intestinal obstruction. It also depends on whether or not cancer has started to spread to other tissues, which is why abdominal pain should be taken as an important sign to look over in any patient, especially when it is acute and severe.

Nausea

Similar to abdominal pain, nausea is a common sign in gastrointestinal problems that might be quite difficult to differentiate. In colon cancer, as well as many other types of cancer, inflammation is a key factor for cancer growth and the spread of cancer cells throughout the body. Thus, cancer cells start manufacturing cytokines and inflammatory mediators that contribute to feeling nausea because they change the normal movement of the stools throughout the gastrointestinal tract.

Vomiting

In severe cases of nausea, patients may also experience vomiting, and this symptom might be as severe as to prevent patients from eating much and contributing to a wasting syndrome we will address further, called cachexia. Continuous vomiting should be evaluated, especially when it starts all of a sudden, is maintained for a few days, and it is associated with abdominal pain. Colon cancer patients with vomiting problems might have an intestinal obstruction, which may lead to fecal vomiting when the obstruction of the intestinal lumen is total.

Narrow stools

This symptom is very important, and it is something patients usually report only when asked because they may not even notice. Colon cancer reduces the space in the intestinal lumen, and that’s where stool passes in its way to be eliminated. The space becomes reduced, and the stools become narrow trying to pass the obstruction. Narrow stools are common in other inflammatory conditions that lead to a reduced intestinal lumen, but it is a useful sign you should report to your doctor if you’re suspecting colon cancer.

Red blood in the stools

When assessing blood in the stool, there are basically two types of bleeding. One of them is red blood, instantly recognized as such. This blood has been spilled and eliminated along with the stools almost at the same time. There was not enough time for blood to coagulate and start decaying with the gut microbiota, and that’s why red blood in the stools means the alteration is near the anus or in the anus itself. It might be caused by an anal fissure, hemorrhoids, ulcers in the descending colon, or a tumor located in this same area. By consulting with your doctor, you will get a complete assessment to know what is causing this symptom.

Melena

The other type of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract is called melena. Instead of finding red blood in the stools, we rather find dark-colored material with a foul smell. It is because blood was spilled into the intestinal lumen and traveled along with the stools for enough time to be decomposed by intestinal bacteria. This gives doctors a clue that the bleeding area is located in the ascending colon, the small intestines, or near the stomach. Once again, it might be caused by intestinal ulcers and other diseases and not colon cancer. Only your doctor will be able to tell after performing a series of diagnostic procedures.

Bloating

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It is a common cause of abdominal discomfort in patients with colon cancer, but not only in these patients. It is also common in inflammatory bowel conditions, food intolerance, food poisoning, and many other diseases. In colon cancer, bloating becomes a recurrent problem that aggravates as the disease progresses, and becomes worse after a large meal. In some cases of partial intestinal obstruction, intestinal gas is maintained in the large bowel for a longer time and as the tumor becomes larger bloating and abdominal pain become worse.

Diarrhea

A common symptom in patients with colon cancer is recurrent episodes of diarrhea without any explanation. When colon cancer causes severe diarrhea, these patients often have electrolyte imbalances, dehydration, and other complications. This is especially the case in senior patients, which is why it is important to search for the source of diarrhea as quickly as possible.

Constipation

Constipation can be a cause or a consequence of colon cancer. Chronic constipation is one of the leading causes of intestinal polyps, and these digital protrusions into the intestinal lumen might turn into cancer after a while. At the same time, late-stage cancer can cause constipation as well, especially when associated with bowel obstruction.

Tenesmus

It is the sensation that you have not yet finished emptying your bowel, and there’s something left in your rectum. Thus, you feel the need to keep pushing when there’s nothing there. Tenesmus is a sign of an inflammatory alteration in the gastrointestinal tract that is often due to parasites and gastrointestinal infections but may also be caused by colon cancer.

Anemia

As a result of the loss of nutrients by the stools, colon cancer patients are especially susceptible to nutritional anemia, which is often corrected with B complex and iron because those nutrients are often lost through the stools. Anemia is diagnosed with a simple blood test, but only a doctor with training would recognize what type of anemia it is and how to correct it without buying unnecessary drugs.

Fatigue

Closely associated with anemia, colon cancer patients often experience fatigue as well. Anemia reduces oxygen availability and makes patients drowsy and tired. Additionally, these patients often have other nutrient deficiencies, and the tumor itself is a source of extra metabolic stress that takes out nutrients and energy from the bloodstream to help cancer grow larger still. This is an important part of a wasting syndrome in cancer called cachexia, which is composed of chronic fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, and asthenia.

Anorexia

It is the clinical name when you have lost your appetite and no longer want to eat. Patients with cancer tend to eat less because of their gastrointestinal symptoms and experience early satiety when their tumor is near the stomach and pushes the organ creating extra pressure that is interpreted as if the stomach was already full. Additionally, when tumors become large, they synthesize and release too many inflammatory mediators that reach the brain centers and deactivate the sensation of hunger. Anorexia contributes to nutrient deficiencies in a continuous cycle that often leads to decompensation and severe consequences in late-stage cancer.

Weight loss

Colon cancer in a late-stage features a type of weight loss that is either unintended, too rapid or both. Unintended weight loss means that patients are not undergoing any dietary changes or changes in their levels of physical activity, and a rapid weight loss means losing 5% of your body weight or more in less than 6 months. The severity of weight loss is usually related to the severity and extent of cancer, and it is a very important sign to take in consideration.

Asthenia

Another symptom of cachexia is called asthenia. It is the clinical name of feeling worn out both mentally and physically, and not being able and not having the motivation to do anything at all. Asthenia is clinically relevant when paired up with the other components of cachexia because, by itself, it might be a sign of depression and other psychiatric problems.

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In most cases, colon cancer is detected with imaging techniques and other means before they start giving out signs and symptoms. The course of the disease is variable, and depending on your stage, your doctor might suggest one therapeutic option or the other. What is most important in colon cancer is not only being aware of the signs and symptoms of the disease but also performing your medical check-ups regularly, even if you feel healthy and with no apparent health problems.