Bowel Cancer Early Symptoms

Colon cancer: Painless but deadly? According to the American Cancer Society, some 112,000 people are diagnosed with colon cancer--sometimes called "cancer of the bowel"--each year. But in its most formative stages, a patient may present with benign polyps in the colon that cause no pain or overt physical symptoms. Routine screening for precancerous polyps is necessary to prevent colon cancer and its metastasis to other vital organs.

Overview of Colon Cancer

• Colon cancer, informally referred to as "cancer of the bowel," is cancer of the large intestine, a part of the human digestive system. In most cases, colon cancer starts out with the presence of benign cell masses called adenomatous polyps which become cancerous over time--sometimes a period of years. Cancer develops when the polyps grow into the colon wall. Once cancer cells are embedded in the lower intestine, they grow into the blood vessels and lymph nodes. When the cancer is spread into the blood or lymph vessels, it can metastasize to other major organs, such as the liver. Because polyps result in few or no symptoms, colon cancer in its earliest stage can often only be determined by routine tests and screenings.

Symptoms of Colon Cancer

• Once symptoms of colon cancer begin to manifest, they may include a change in bowel habits (e.g., diarrhea or constipation) for more than two weeks; bleeding from the rectum or blood in the stool; abdominal pain and cramping; weakness and lethargy; and weight loss. In some cases, individuals with colon cancer experience abdominal pain during a bowel movement or the sensation that the bowel is not completely "empty."

Screening Tools for Colon Cancer

• There are numerous diagnostic procedures used to screen for colon cancer. Noninvasive testing includes the fecal occult blood test and stool DNA test, which can be completed in a physician's office or with a take-home kit that instructs the patient how to return the sample to the laboratory for analysis. More invasive screening techniques include flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy, in which a lighted scope is inserted through the rectum to visualize the colon wall. A barium enema permits a diagnostic evaluation of the complete large intestine through use of an X-ray.

Treatment for Colon Cancer

• Treatment of colon cancer depends on how the cancer has been staged. In its early stages, when the cancer is still contained in a polyp, a surgeon may be able to remove it during a colonoscopy. Larger polyps can be removed through laparoscopic surgery. When cancer is more advanced, surgery to remove the part of the affected colon, as well as the lymph nodes, is required. If a surgeon cannot reconnect the healthy portions of the colon, this might result in a temporary or permanent colostomy. Additional treatments for colon cancer can include chemotherapy, radiation treatment and targeted drug therapy.

Who's At Risk?

• There are several factors that make people predisposed to colon cancer. Age is a factor; around 90 percent of those diagnosed with colon cancer are over the age of 50. Those with a history of colorectal cancer or polyps have a much greater risk of developing colon cancer, as do those with long-standing inflammatory diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Genetic syndromes that are inherited, such as familial adenomatous polyposis, account for around five percent of all colon cancers. A family history of colon cancer increases the likelihood of developing cancer, particularly if the family member was a parent, sibling or child. Other risk factors include poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, smoking, and heavy alcohol use.