Symptoms and causes of colon cancer

“The symptoms of colorectal/ colon cancer can be no symptoms at all”

Colon cancer often causes no symptoms in the earliest stages. However, symptoms may become more noticeable as it progresses.

The risk of colorectal cancer increases as a person gets older. After 30, the risk at least doubles with each passing decade. Most doctors start screening at age 50. Men appear to be a greater risk for developing colon cancer.

The causes of cancer are still not understood.
Sometimes the genes that control a cell’s activity mutate and start giving instructions that lead to runaway growth of tissue. A single cancerous cell divides millions of times, producing a tumor. The tumor builds its own blood vessels to ensure its supply of oxygen.

The greatest risk factor, and the clearest warning sign, is colorectal polyps.
These are benign growths (not in themselves cancerous) in the inside of the colon. However, many benign growths are bad for you, and some are likely to turn into cancer. Polyps belong to this last category.

A polyp usually looks like a ball on a stalk, protruding from the inner wall of the colon. It may cause rectal bleeding, though this is often hidden in the stool. The average new polyp has a 2.5% chance of becoming cancerous in its first 5 years, and a 24% chance of becoming cancerous after 20 years. Larger polyps are more likely to become cancerous. Some people have more than one polyp.

You are more at risk for polyps and colon cancer if you:

Are over 50 years old
Smoke
Drink (people who smoke and drink are at 4 times the average risk)
Don’t get enough exercise
Eat a diet heavy in red meat or processed meat
Have history of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
Have family history polyps, colon cancer, or cancer of female reproductive organs (ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, breast cancer)
Are obese
Have diabetes
Have received abdominal radiation (e.g., an adult survivor of childhood cancer who received abdominal radiation)

Polyps and colon cancer may cause slow, steady bleeding in the colon.
The blood emerges with the stool but it is often invisible. Many other condition can cause blood in the stool. If you experience it you should consult a doctor. Often the blood loss isn’t seen, but its effect is felt as iron-deficient anemia. Men and postmenopausal women with symptoms of anemia need a checkup.

Colon cancer can cause vague symptoms like weight loss or change in bowel habits, or it can cause no symptoms at all. More often, colon cancer has no symptoms until the disease is advanced. That’s why screening is so vital.

The signs and symptoms may include: