›› Colon Cancer Symptoms
Colon cancer is the
second most common cancer in the United States, and causes over 50,000
deaths in the country each year; which is about as many American
soldiers that died in the entire Vietnam conflict. This is an
especially tragic and frustrating fact because the majority of the
deaths caused by colon cancer could have been prevented.
Colon cancer symptoms include pain in the abdomen, diarrhea, blood in
the feces, and sometimes constipation or even blocked bowel
movements. Colon cancer symptoms range from very mild, to
extremely severe. There are often cases of colon cancer that
are virtually without symptoms until the latest stages.
It is not a good idea to wait until you have noticeable colon cancer
symptoms before learning about the disease. Once
you’ve developed colon cancer symptoms, the disease has
probably entered middle or late stages, and there is a much better
chance that it has spread to other areas of your body. Once
it has spread, your likelihood of survival lowers dramatically.
If you catch colon cancer in the earlier stages, there is an extremely
high chance that you’ll recover and survive. Over
90% of people who are diagnosed with an early stage colon cancer are
able to undergo a successful surgical removal of the cancer before it
spreads. It is important to note that in the beginning
stages, colon cancer symptoms are rarely noticeable, so it is only
people who regularly go in for a colonoscopy or other colon exam that
will be able to catch the disease early.
Colon cancer also has a tendency to run in families. There is
a genetic trait for developing ‘polyps’ that can be
passed down from one generation to another, and this trait vastly
increases your odds of getting colon cancer. If you
parents, grandparents, or siblings have even been diagnosed with colon
cancer, there is a good chance you may have this polyp gene, and it is
especially important for you to get checked regularly once you reach
the age of 40.
Clearly, it is extremely important then to get a regular colon exam,
whether the disease runs in your family or not. Also,
contrary to some myths, women are as likely to develop colon cancer as
men. People of African decent seem to be especially prone to
the disease, and should consider getting their first colon exam
starting even earlier than 40. No one likes the thought of a
colon exam, as they are certainly unpleasant, but late stage colon
cancer symptoms are definitely worse.
››
A Healthy Dose of Good Advice
