Colon cancer is a disease with no symptoms when first formed. The cancer usually evolves slowly and so an individual can live for many years without knowing that he had developed it.

This means that the cancer grows and begins spreading without being stopped, and so the first symptoms occur only when the disease is already advanced, which makes it very difficult to cure. The fact the colon cancer symptoms and diagnosis appear late is a main cause in colon cancer late discoveries and so, it is a very important thing to know exactly what colon cancer is and how you can detect it.

Here are some of the facts about colon cancer symptoms and diagnosis that can help you have a clearer image about this disease. When colon cancer symptoms start occurring they are going to included different changes in the bowel movement and so you can experience stools that are narrower than usual, diarrhea, constipation as well as the alternation between those two.

In this phase a patient may also feel some abdominal pain and although it is not a very common colon cancer symptom, back pain. People tend to associate these symptoms with other disease and this is because they can occur also when hemorrhoids, bowel infections or some other illnesses are formed.


In general, blood lose is manifested with colon cancer begins growing. It is common symptom starting with stage two, when still the cancer is not spread. However, this blood can still be present without being very visible. This is why it is sometimes discovered only after medical tests. Unexpected weight loss, nausea, vomiting or fatigue can also be experienced by colon cancer patients. Excessive gas, the feeling of incomplete evacuation after a bowel movement and pain are also colon cancer symptoms.


No matter which of those symptoms appear in your case, you have to go to your doctor as soon as you feel something is not in order. Colon cancer can be diagnosed in the earliest stages and sometimes even before it is formed, after screening tests.

Screenings include barium enema test, colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy and through such interventions, the cancer can be discovered. Sometimes, when only polyps that have the potential of becoming colon cancer tumors are found in the colon area, they can easily be removed in a colonoscopy.

Through screening tests doctors can see clear inside the colon wall and check for any abnormal growths that may be formed. Because in these interventions at one end of the tub that is introduced in the patient colon is attached a tiny camera, the doctor can see the entire organ and take samples to establish for sure the stage of the disease. To be able to detect colon cancer as early as formed, screenings are recommended at certain periods of time.