Understanding Colorectal Cancer and Its Six Signs

Worldwide, colorectal cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. It can affect any & all parts of your large bowel (colon) and rectum and goes by various other names, such as bowel cancer, colon cancer and rectal cancer, depending on precisely which part of your body it begins. The good news is that today’s early screening tests and procedures can catch it before it becomes a life-threatening disease.

Colorectal Cancer Stages

Health care professionals use the TNM system to stage colorectal cancer, TNM standing for the following:

• Tumor: how much, if any, effect the tumor has had on areas of your body other than the wall of your colon or rectum
• Node: how many, if any, of your lymph nodes it has affected
• Metastasis: whether or not it has spread to any of your body’s other organs

Most colorectal cancers begin as small, benign growths called polyps that, while initially harmless, can become cancerous if you fail to undergo screenings to detect them. The following five stages and their subcategories describe how far your colorectal cancer has already progressed:

• Stage 0: No evidence of cancer found in your colon or rectum
• Stage Tis: Cancer in situ, i.e., cancer cells (tumors) found only in the top layer of tissue lining the inside of your colon or rectum
• Stage 1: Cancer tumor(s) found underneath, i.e., your submucosa, the top layer of tissue lining the inside your colon or rectum
• Stage 2: Cancer tumor(s) found in your muscularis propria, the deep, thick layer of muscle that contracts to force your intestinal contents to keep moving
• Stage 3: Cancer tumor(s) have grown, i.e., metastasized, either into your subserosa, the thin layer of connective tissue underneath the muscularis propria, or into the tissues surrounding your colon or rectum
• Stage 4a: Cancer tumor(s) have grown through all layers of your colon and into the surface of your visceral peritoneum
• Stage 4b: Cancer tumor(s) have grown into or attached themselves to other organs or structures of your body, like your lungs, liver, peritoneum or even throughout your body

Colorectal Cancer Signs and Symptoms

Different people experience different colorectal cancer symptoms, and some experience no symptoms whatsoever. Therefore, remain alert for the following six signs that you may have this type of cancer:

1. Sudden onset of constipation, diarrhea, mucousy stools or narrower stools
2. Dark or bright red blood in your stools
3. Anal pain, especially a lump in your anus
4. Constant bloating or gas in your rectum or bowel or pain in your stomach, especially combined with stomach swelling.
5. Sudden weight loss or loss of your appetite that you can’t explain
6. Tiredness or breathlessness that could indicate anaemia, i.e., insufficient iron in your blood

Those Most at Risk For Colorectal Cancer

Although no one knows exactly what causes colorectal cancer, medical professionals do know that you’re at higher risk for it when one or more of the following apply to you:

• Age 50 and older
• Obesity
• Diet high in red meat and processed food
• High alcohol consumption
• History of smoking cigarettes
• Personal history of Chron’s disease, ulcerative colitis or other colorectal diseases
• Family history of colorectal cancer
• Hereditary disorders, such as Lynch Syndrome, Associated Polyposis (MAP) or Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)

Colorectal Cancer Treatment

Colorectal cancer is eminently treatable if caught early enough. In addition, you have several treatment options, including the following:

• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy
• Targeted therapies
• Surgery

Which treatment(s) are best for you depends on various factors, such as the location and size of your tumor(s), the extent to which they have spread, your overall health and fitness, and your personal treatment preferences.