Serious Warning Signs Of Bowel Cancer

Weight Loss

As with many types of cancers, unexplained weight loss in an individual can be a sign of bowel cancer. Weight loss precipitated from an individual's bowel cancer is considered to be a systemic symptom, one that affects their entire body. Unintentional weight loss is best defined as a loss of five percent or greater of an individual's body weight within a duration of six to twelve consecutive months. Bowel cancer can cause weight loss because the cancerous cells that make up the tumor require nutrients to produce energy just like healthy cells do. Because an individual's diet may not be enough to meet the needs of all their healthy cells and the cancerous cells, their body will burn through any fat reserves they have so cells can produce enough energy. which can result in weight loss. In addition, cancer cells can release toxins into an affected individual's body that causes increased metabolism and rapid breakdown of fat stores. Furthermore, the impaired absorption of nutrients in the gastrointestinal system can cause a patient to lose weight.

Extreme And Persistent Fatigue

Cancer occurs when a mutation in the DNA of a cell causes it to grow and multiply out of control. Any cancerous cells in the body can become extremely invasive to the organs as they continue to grow and spread. Bowel cancer is a particularly aggressive type of cancer where the cancerous cells compromise the bowel and can spread to the small intestine and other organs. When cancerous cells invade the small intestine and destroy the lining, the intestine can no longer absorb nutrients like glucose properly. Without enough glucose, the cells around the body are unable to carry out their processes to produce energy or ATP. Additionally, cancerous cells themselves use up the supply of oxygen, glucose, and other nutrients to carry out their malicious processes, leaving nothing left for healthy cells. This shortage of glucose and cellular energy triggers a mechanism in the body where any energy produced is allocated to the tissues that are the most critical for survival, like the heart and lungs. It is this general scarcity and reallocation of cellular energy that makes a bowel cancer patient feel extreme and persistent fatigue.