Cancer Symptoms

Colon cancer is often difficult to detect because there are other conditions such as infections, hemorrhoids, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) whose symptoms are similar to those of colon cancer.

If your doctor finds something suspicious during a routine screening examination, you will likely undergo a more thorough diagnostic workup to determine the exact cause of your symptoms and whether or not those indicate colorectal cancer.

If you have any of the following symptoms, you should check with your doctor to ascertain whether or not they indicate signs of colorectal cancer:

A change in bowel habits such as diarrhea, constipation, or narrowing of the stool that lasts for more than a few days
A feeling that you need to have a bowel movement that is not relieved by doing so
Rectal bleeding or blood in the stool (often, though, the stool will look normal)
Cramping or steady abdominal (stomach area) pain
Weakness and fatigue

Colorectal cancer is more treatable if it is found early; therefore, it is important to talk with your doctor immediately to ascertain the source of your symptoms. Many individuals may have colon cancer and not have any symptoms, and will often have normal-looking stools.

If you have any of the above-specified symptoms, please see your doctor immediately. He or she will need to take a complete medical history and perform a physical exam to determine the cause of your symptoms. Additional tests may be done to find out if you have colorectal cancer, or a different condition that may have some of the same symptoms.