| Symptoms of Colon Cancer |
| Written by Maggie Hirko | |
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When caught in the early stages colon cancer can be completely cured. It is very important that if you believe you have any of the symptoms of colorectal cancer that you speak with your doctor and make sure you have a colonoscopy to rule out the disease. It is also important to note that this cancer may not have any symptoms at all. It is recommended that anyone over the age of fifty have a colonoscopy and then keep having them based on their doctor’s suggestions. Colorectal Cancer SymptomsAs stated above, there are often no early warning symptoms for colon cancer. But there are symptoms that may indicate that you need to be checked for colon cancer. These symptoms include:
Stage 0Stage 0 is the very beginning of cancer. It’s still in its original area and hasn’t gone into the colon wall as yet. This is the stage when it is contained in polyps and can usually be eliminated during a colonoscopy.Stage 1In Stage 1, the cancer has moved, or spread, into the center or middle layers of the colon wall or into the rectum. The cancer is now what doctors refer to as a tumor and surgery is required to remove the cancerous area and hopefully to reconnect the ends of the healthy portions of the colon. It is said that at this stage there is a 95% five year survival rate.Stage 2Stage 2 has the cancer spreading even farther, beyond the center part of the colon wall and may have started spreading to some of the near-by organs. But at this stage the cancer is not found in the lymph nodes. A surgery much like the one in Stage 1 is also done at this stage, but the survival rate has dropped to 60% for the five year time span.Stage 3When the cancer is found in at least three lymph nodes it is considered a Stage 3 cancer. However the cancer has not yet spread to other organs but a stronger attack needs to be made on the cancerous area. Surgery will be done at this stage also, plus chemotherapy and other therapies may be used. The five year survival rate has dropped again, to between 35-60%.Stage 4Stage 4 colon cancer is the most advanced stage and means the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes and other organs or parts of the body. The most common organs affected by colon cancer are the liver and the lungs. At this stage of cancer, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and additional surgery to other parts of the body where the cancer has spread, will probably all be used. When this stage of colon cancer has been reached the five year survival percentage has dropped drastically to 3%.SummaryThe early detection of colon cancer has the highest rate of survival of any of the cancers. This makes the colonoscopy one of the most effective tools against cancer that we have. But on the other end of the spectrum, in the later stages colon cancer is the 2nd most deadly cancer there is.After cancer has been treated and then comes back it is called recurrent cancer. This is why having once had cancer one has to be constantly vigilant with regular and frequent checkups whether it involves colon cancer or any other type of cancer. Cancer is a serious and extremely ugly disease in all its forms. All the suggestions and promotions to get people’s attention and to inform them of such tools as colonoscopies and mammograms, prostate exams, etc. truly is a public service and one we really need to pay attention to. Even a slightly invasive exam is much better than going through the actual disease in any of its several stages. So make your appointment now-don’t wait any longer. |
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