Serious Warning Signs Of Bowel Cancer
Most individuals diagnosed with bowel cancer are in their fifth or sixth decade of life or older, but it can develop at any age. Most cases of bowel cancer develop from benign cell clumps inside of the colon called polyps. As these growths become larger, one of the cells can incur a genetic mutation can cause cancer to develop. Bowel cancer is diagnosed with a blood stool test, stool DNA test, sigmoidoscopy, barium enema x-ray, colonoscopy, MRI scans, and or CT colonography. Regular colon cancer screenings are recommended for individuals between fifty and seventy-five years old. Treatment for bowel cancer is usually a combination of methods, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, proton beam therapy, immunotherapy, and targeted drug therapy.
Changes In Bowel Habits
An individual who experiences changes in bowel habits may be affected by bowel cancer. Due to it being ambiguous, the exact meaning of bowel habit changes may not be entirely clear to an individual. Color changes of the stool that can indicate bowel cancer include deep red stools, white-colored stools, or black tarry stools. Consistency changes to look out for in regards to bowel cancer include stools that are dry, hard, loose, watery, or are accompanied by fluid or mucus. Changes in the frequency of an individual's stools can be a cause of concern when it comes to bowel cancer. Going seventy-two hours without a bowel movement is a change that can be indicative of an obstruction caused by bowel cancer. This term also encompasses the individual's ability to control their bowel movements. Sudden bowel movement urges an individual is not able to control may be a sign of bowel cancer. In rare cases, stool that is consistently very narrow may also indicate the presence of malignancy in the bowel.
Abdominal Pain
An individual affected by bowel cancer may experience abdominal pain, which can present in one or more ways. Relatively localized and sharp pain in the abdominal region accompanied by nausea and vomiting can indicate the bowel has become blocked or perforated. Cancerous growth in the bowel can be the cause of such a perforation or blockage and result in abdominal pain. Abdominal pain that is longer lasting in an individual and is accompanied by cramping and bloating can indicate a growing cancerous bowel tumor. Bowel cancer that occurs in the right colon is known to produce an annoying, dull, and uncharacteristic type of pain similar to what occurs in gallbladder conditions. Bowel cancer growing in an individual's left colon is more likely to feel like trapped gas and severe cramping. Bowel cancer that occurs in the last part of the colon near the rectum is known to produce abdominal pain only in its later stages.
