Early detection is the key to surviving colon cancer. There are many symptoms for colon cancer and they vary from person to person. Not every person with colon cancer will have all the symptoms. Here are a few of the most common early symptoms:
Fatigue
The presence of a tumour leads to anaemia, which is because of the lack of iron supplement and this makes the person feel chronically weak and tired.
Dark blood in stool
If there is blood in your stool, it signifies the presence of a tumour which usually bleeds. If the blood is fresh, it means that the tumour is closer to the end of the colon whereas if it dried or dark red in colour, the tumour is located at the beginning of the colon.
Constipation
A large tumour in the colon will be an obstruction in the bowels and will restrict the movement of stool, hence causing constipation.
Nausea
A tumour that is large in enough to block stool and cause constipation will also lessen the blood flow which can lead to vomiting and nausea.
Weight loss
When a person starts losing weight without any effort or reason, it may be due to the fact that the tumour is releasing chemicals that accelerate the metabolism rate.
Bloating
A tumour at the end of the colon will bloat and give the feeling that the bowel is still full. This might be mistaken as a part of the stool which is not easy to excrete.
Abdominal cramps
The colon, as mentioned earlier, acts as an obstruction in the bowel and depending on the size will prevent solids, liquids and even gases from passing by. This can lead to acute stomach pain and cramps in the abdomen. Recurrent sprees of painful cramps in the abdomen region might be because the bowel has nudged the bowel wall. This may be an emergency and needs immediate medical treatment.
These are the most common colon cancer early symptoms but there are other minor symptoms as well that might lead to the diagnosis of colon cancer. These include irregular bowel movement and peptic ulcers. The colon is bigger on the right side, and hence the tumour can grow till it is very huge before it leads to abdominal cramps or pain in the stomach. Inspite of all this, in the case of colon cancer, the growth may be present for many years before any symptoms begin to show.
