Colon Cancer: 8 Early Warning Signs & 4 Stages

In the early stages of colon cancer, there are usually no signs or symptoms.

Colon canceris a type ofcancerthat begins in the cells lining thelarge intestine(colon); some researchers include the rectum and prefer the termcolorectal cancer. There are over 101,000 new cases of coloncancerevery year in the U.S. Coloncanceris the third-leading cause ofcancerdeath in the U.S. for both men and women.

There are 4 main stages ofcolon cancer, referred to as stages 1-4. Stage 4 coloncanceris metastatic coloncancerthat has spread away to other parts of the body such as theliver, bones, orlungs.

Other conditions that can cause the same signs and symptoms as colon cancer include bleeding in the凳子,ulcerative colitis(UC), andIrritable bowel syndrome(IBS).

Unlike some diseases, colon cancer typically dies not produce symptoms or signs in its early stages. This is why following screening recommendations is critical. The earlier a colon cancer is detected, the greater the likelihood of successful treatment.

Colon cancer may begin to produce symptoms and signs as it grows and expands. However, there is no specific sign or symptom that definitely indicates colon cancer is present. When signs and symptoms do occur, the following are some of the most typical:

1. Persistent change in bowel habits
2. Narrow or pencil-thin stools
3. Diarrheaorconstipation
4. Blood in the stool,rectal bleeding(blood may appear as bright red blood or dark stools)
5. Persistentabdominal painor discomfort, such ascrampsorbloating
6. 感觉你的肠道不空completely
7. Unexplainedweight loss
8. Fatigue,tiredness, orweakness

Each stage of colon cancer refers to the extent of spread of the cancer at the time that it is identified. There are 4 main stages of colon cancer, referred to as stages 1-4:

• Stage 1 colon cancerhas spread from the lining of thelarge intestineinto the muscular wall of the large intestine.
• Stage 2 colon cancerhas spread through the wall of the intestine to the outermost layer and may grow into adjacent organs.
• Stage 3 colon cancerhas spread tolymph nodesin the area or to other organs in the area.
• Stage 4 colon canceris metastatic colon cancer. It has spread away from the colon to other parts of the body such as theliver, bones, orlungs.

The term Stage 0 is sometimes used for a very early cancer that only affects the lining of the intestine. This has been also referred to ascarcinoma in situ.

There are other conditions that can cause the same signs and symptoms as colon cancer. Some of these conditions are very common.

• Bleeding in the凳子can be caused byinflammatory bowel diseasessuch as Crohn's disease.
• Ulcerative colitis(UC) as well as ulcers anddiverticulitis.
• Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) may cause changes in bowel habits includingdiarrheaandconstipationalong withbloatingand abdominal discomfort.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to discuss them with your doctor to help determine the cause of your symptoms.