Gastrointestinal | Tumor

Colon Cancer – For cancer that starts in the colon or rectum, the name is colorectal cancer. As with the beginnings of most cancers, colorectal cancer begins when cells in that area grow out of control and ‘muscle out’ normal cells. As with any cancer diagnosis, the detection of cancer early on is critical to a successful outcome. Regular colonoscopies beginning at age 50 are recommended. It is also suggested that anyone that has a history of colon cancer in their family to potentially start getting checked earlier than 50.

Colon Cancer Symptoms – Colorectal cancer might not cause symptoms, but if it does, they would include: a change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation, or narrowing of the stool; a feeling that you need to have a bowel movement that is not relieved by having one, rectal bleeding with bright red blood, blood in the stool, which may make the stool look dark, cramping or abdominal pain, weakness and fatigue and weight loss. Colon cancer signs and symptoms are pretty much the same as the overall colorectal cancer symptoms.

Stage 4 Colon Cancer – indicates that the cancer cells in the colon or rectum have the potential to travel to the liver or other even more distant organs and grow there. When those cells do that, it is called metastasis. Colon cancer starts in the colon, and rectal cancer starts in the rectum. Both the rectum and colon are a part of the digestive system.

Survival Rate – As with all types of cancer early detection and treatment yields significantly improved survival rates. Stage 1 colon cancer has a 92% 5-year survival rate while a stage 3 colon cancer prognosis drops to 89% in the same 5 year time period

Ribbon – the awareness ribbon for colon cancer is a dark blue