Besides bloody stools, what other symptom most commonly sent colorectal cancer victims to the doctor?

Question

In other words, excluding a very bloody bowel movement, what is the other common complain that people who are then diagnosed with colorectal cancer, brought to the doctor, since blood in the stool can be caused by many things and 99 percent of the time is diagnosed as something other than cancer ( although blood in the stool you should ALWAYS see a doctor no matter what)...Anyways i had a friend who had constant diahrrea, and he was getting it everyday for a while, and his bowel movements where in crazy amounts daily...like 4-6 plus in a day, everyday in the form of diahrreah...so i was just wondering..he was also a rare case as he is under 30 years of age!!( and 90-95% of colon cancer patients are aged 50 or older statistically) , but is fine now though thanks to modern medicine. anyways this has been on my mind lately, and im pretty young to think of this stuff as my doctor told me ...(19), but i always worry about this stuff for some reason.

Answer 1

There are 10 main symptoms of colo-rectal cancer. I think the pain is probably the other symptom that brings most people to the doctor. Here are the symptoms:
1. blood in BM
2. changes in habits: going more or less often
3. stomach cramping and/or bloating
4. unexplained weight loss
5. thinner BMs (skinnier "logs")
6. feel like you have to go but don't
7. gas
8. anemia
9. unexplained vomiting
10. chronic fatigue

It is wise to be educated about the symptoms but please don't worry about it. Since you know what to look for, just keep it in your store of knowledge and don't focus on it. Enjoy your life! Remember, your friend was an exception and I am glad he saw a doctor and is now doing well.

Answer 2

Bloody Stool Cancer

Answer 3

Diarrhea can be caused by many things. It could be the medication he is taking. It could be from IBS, or lower bowel syndrome. He may want to see a Gastroenterologist, maybe for a lower colon exam. I have to go and have the good one which is all the way up your throat, in a matter of speaking, and each time they have found a "polyp" . The last one removed from the upper colon was the type that normally grows into cancer, and when you normally have pain it is usually too late. I have a friend that they found cancer in his colon and they had to do a re-section. This was thirty years ago and he is fine until this day. They removed about three feet of his colon, and to his benifit it had not progressed to other internal organs. If he had not went for his annual checkup he would be what they say "Out Of Here". If you are over, I wold say forty-five or fifty, you should have this done each five years. Since they have found polyps on two occassions with my exams, I go each three years..

Answer 4

Symptoms of colorectal cancer

During the early stages of colorectal cancer development, when the tumor is either a small benign (noncancerous) polyp or has grown into a small cancer, there are usually no symptoms. Often, the first clue that a colonic polyp or cancer exists is obtained when a physician routinely screens a patient’s stool for the presence of microscopic amounts of blood, amounts too small to be seen by the naked eye. This test, called fecal occult blood testing, can be done either when a physician performs a digital rectal examination and smears a small amount of stool on a Hemoccult IIâ test card or by the patient when a small amount of evacuated stool is placed on the test card and it is brought into the doctor’s office for processing.

Occasionally, the first clue to the presence of colorectal cancer is the presence of small amounts of blood seen mixed in with the stool by the patient. Most often, such bleeding is due to benign or non-cancerous causes such as hemorrhoids, but in all cases this symptoms should be brought to the attention of a physician.

Anemia (low red blood cell count) develops when the amount of gastrointestinal bleeding exceeds the body’s ability to replenish the blood loss or when the blood loss has been occurring over a long period of time such that body stores of iron (an essential component of red blood cells) have become depleted. Mild anemia is often without symptoms (asymptomatic) and is frequently detected by a routine blood count test at the doctor’s office. When anemia has progressed and the red blood cell count has dropped significantly, symptoms begin to develop and may include dizziness, unexplained fatigue or tiredness, and shortness of breath. When there is insufficient blood to carry oxygen to the heart, chest pain or angina may occur or in cases of severe anemia, a heart attack or myocardial infarction can occur. Similarly, profound anemia and insufficient oxygen to the brain can cause neurologic symptoms such as focal weakness or numbness in an extremity, slurred speech, seizures, severe dizziness, stroke, or loss of consciousness.

If the tumor has grown to a large size and has begun to obstruct the normal flow of bowel contents in the colon or rectum symptoms may include abdominal pain, constipation, abdominal distention, vomiting, or narrowing of the caliber of the stool. Occasionally, patients may present with chronic or intermittent diarrhea.

Another important warning sign is a prolonged decrease in appetite leading to substantial and unexplained weight loss. While there can be many other causes of weight loss, this can be an important early warning sign of cancer and should be brought to the attention of a physician.

Answer 5

Colorectal cancer is the out-of-control growth of cells in the colon or rectum. These cells grow into masses, or tumors. Most colorectal cancers begin as polyps, which are growths attached to the inside of the colon or rectum.
Symptoms of colorectal cancer usually occur later, when the cancer is are harder to treat. Common symptoms include:
•Pain in the abdomen.
•Blood in your stool or black, tarry stools.
•A change in your bowel habits (such as very narrow stools or frequent diarrhea or constipation).
•Unexplained weight loss.
•Constant fatigue.