How to Detect Bowel Cancer Symptoms

Bowel cancer or colorectal cancer is the most common internal cancer that occurs in humans. Bowel cancer is also the second most frequent cause of death after lung cancer. Typically, bowel cancer occurs in the colon (large intestine) and the rectum (back passage). However, in some very small number of cases of this disease, it can also occur in the small intestine. Frequently, the colorectal cancer develops from polyps that grow inside the lining of the intestine wall. When the polyps become malignant, they turn into cancer. Untreated, bowel cancer can grow through the wall of the intestine and spread to other parts of the body.

While death mostly occurs in advanced stages of this disease, the chances for recovery for this cancer are very high if it is detected in its early stages. The success of the recovery can be more than 90% of all cases. Early symptoms of bowel cancer resemble minor intestinal problems such as constipation, gas, and so forth. It is very important for you to notice any changes in your bowel habits and digestion and seek medical help...

If you have any of the following symptoms for three weeks or longer, it could be a sign of colorectal cancer, and you should see your doctor immediately. These symptoms include:
- Rectal bleeding
Your back passage bleeds without any apparent reason. The blood can be found in your stool or on your toilet paper following a bowel movement. Along with that, you may also find other symptoms such as lumps, itchiness, straining and soreness around the rectum. Hemorrhoids can also cause these same symptoms. Make a habit to look into the bowl prior to flushing to watch for these symptoms.
- Changes in bowel movement habits
You may experience constant constipation or diarrhea due to the disturbance of muscles. Constipation is usually followed by a feeling of not feeling completely empty even when you already have passed the stool. Meanwhile, diarrhea causes more frequent bowel movements and often with lots of clear, jelly-like mucus.
- Pain in abdominal area
Abdominal pain can be constant or periodic. For some people, it lingers and does not go away. For some others, it comes and goes at unexpected times. When the pain becomes serious, you should contact your physician to get immediate help.
- Anemia
If you bleed often while passing a stool, there is a chance you suffer from anemia. This shows up as unexpected fatigue and breathlessness.
- A lump found in your abdomen or tummy, especially on the right side.
- Unexplained and unexpected weight loss; often along with an unexplained loss of appetit

How to Detect Bowel Cancer Symptoms

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Colon Cancer - Many Factors Contribute Greatly to the Occurrence of Colon Cancer

Modern lives present many of the ease and speed in fulfilling the needs of human life, have affected change in lifestyle for some people. Fast food and high fat foods that were encountered, causing some people are less interested in eating natural foods that require a long process, but these foods contain a lot of substance that are beneficial to health.

Busyness and adequate transportation facilities to support day-to-day activities, also causes some people exercise less movement or exercising so that the processes of digestion and metabolism to go slowly.

The things mentioned above are some of the many factors that contribute to colon cancer. Thus, wrong diet such as lack of fiber diet, sedentary lifestyle / exercise, exposure to carcinogenic substances, and a history of hereditary type of disease, believed to be a risk factor for colon cancer.

One way of dealing with colon cancer is surgery with removal of colon cancer in a hospital, followed by making a hole (stoma) in the abdominal wall to remove dirt. Installation of the stoma is temporary and there is no settled for a lifetime. For those who must be installed for a lifetime, most likely will affect aspects of life patient physical, psychological, social, and spiritual. In other words, it will also impact on satisfaction, happiness, and quality of life of patients.

Installation of intestinal stoma is seen as a burden of stress that can affect quality of life in many dimensions. Initially, patients feel discomfort, embarrassment, pain, anxiety, and other problems. If the ability to adapt is insufficient, patients could not rule out the possibility of despair, depression, and falls on the poor health conditions. This will reduce the survival of patients. Colostomy (a type of stoma) has a very serious negative impact on quality of life of patients. While other studies have found that the stoma affects the limitations of daily activity and social interaction.

Some people still think that cancer makes a huge life crisis. The reactions in some people with cancer vary widely, for example shock, fear, anxiety, grief, anger, sadness, and until there is a shut down.
These reactions are very human and are the parts of life that everyone must face. Feelings of anxiety in cancer patients because they fear the impact it had, such as changes in body image and death. Feelings of anxiety are not the only complaint that most felt by the patient, stress may also be felt by them.

Colon Cancer - Many Factors Contribute Greatly to the Occurrence of Colon Cancer
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High Fiber Food Diet Cuts Risk of Colon Polyps

Want to reduce your risk of colon polyps, commonly seen as a precursor to cancer? Lots of research has looked at broad categories of foods... fruits and veggies for instance, now we have a study that's focusing on specific foods from a high fiber food diet.

Researchers have found that those who regularly eat foods like brown rice; legumes (beans, peas, lentils), cooked green veggies and dried fruits had a lower chance of colon polyps, recognized as a precursor to cancer of the colon.

The recommendations come after an analysis of data from nearly 3000 subjects taking part in a Study who were monitored for an astonishing 26 years.
The participants completed an initial survey that asked how often, on average, they ate specific foods. The follow up survey asked respondents who had undergone colonoscopies to report any colon polyps their doctor had diagnosed. During this 26-year study period, just short of 450 people went on to develop rectal or colon polyps.

The potentially troublesome colon polyp is a fleshy growth that appears on the inner lining of your large intestine. The growths are surprisingly common, and they are even more likely as the years pass.
Doctors know that about 75% of some polyps, known technically as adenomas, will become cancerous if given time enough to grow. This is why your health care team makes such a fuss about having those screenings when you should. Screening is still the best way to prevent disease from taking hold.
The researchers found that risk of polyps reduced by 40% in people who had brown rice once a week; 33% lower among these who ate legumes at a minimum of three times per week.

Eating dried fruits three or more times per week was linked to a 26% lower risk when compared to those who ate less than one dried fruit a week.
As for the cooked green veggies, eating them daily was linked to a 24% lower risk compared to those who ate them on less than five occasions per week.
These numbers held even after the team accounted for factors like a family history of colon cancer, education, physical activity level, intake of alcohol, smoking status, constipation, intake of sweets, use of pain medication and intake of multivitamins. Food variables were also considered, and adjusted for as needed.
So what do the foods studied have in common?
They're all healthy options, of course... but more importantly; they all contain a lot of fiber that's known to reduce potential carcinogens in the body. What's more, cruciferous veggies (broccoli is one) also have detoxifying compounds that might make them a very natural way to protect the lining of the intestine from trouble.
Study researchers believe eating these kinds of foods can help to reduce the number of colon polyps you have, and thus your risk for developing colon cancer.
High Fiber Food Diet Cuts Risk of Colon Polyps

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Colon Cancer: Are You At Risk?

Colon cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers for both men and women in the Untied States. It is important that you understand your risk for developing this disease, as well as lifestyle changes you can make now to reduce your chances of falling victim to colon cancer.
Cancer of the large intestine, or colon, typically begins as small clumps of cells called adenomatous polyps. Often, these small polyps form in your colon and produce few, if any, symptoms. If they are not removed, they may eventually become cancerous. This is why physicians recommend routine screening to identify and remove polyps before they become a problem.
One of the best ways to prevent death from colon cancer is to have regular screenings. Because more than 90% of all colorectal cancers are found in people who are 50 and older, the American Cancer Society recommends that you start getting routine colon screenings at age 50. If you have a family history of this disease, your physician may recommend that you start screening earlier.
Three of the most common screenings for colon cancer include a stool test, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy. Your physician will make recommendations for how often you should have these tests administered.
Aside from age, there are some other risk factors that may make you more susceptible to developing colon cancer. Some of these factors include:

• Race
• African-Americans have a higher risk for developing this disease than people of other races
• Family history
• Parents, siblings, and children of a person diagnosed with colon cancer are at a higher risk than the average person of developing the disease themselves.
• Personal history of polyps or cancer
• Inflammatory intestinal conditions
• Two of the most common conditions are ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease
• High fat, low fiber diet
• Obesity
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Heavy use of alcohol

While some of these risk factors, like race and age, cannot be changed, there are some lifestyle alterations that you can make to reduce your chance of developing this type of cancer. Keep in mind that just because you have one or more of these risks, it does not mean you will develop colon cancer. You should talk with your physician about these risk factors so that he or she can provide adequate screening and give you suggestions for a healthy lifestyle.

Many people exhibit few, if any, symptoms of colon cancer in the early stages of the disease. As it progresses, patients may notice unexplained weight loss, persistent abdominal discomfort, a change in their bowel habits, rectal bleeding, blood in their stool, weakness, or excessive fatigue. The only way to truly know if you have colon cancer is through screenings and tests administered by your physician.
The good news is that colorectal cancer is often highly treatable. The key to survival is identifying and removing polyps early, before they turn into cancer. Those patients, whose cancer is discovered early, before it has spread, have a very high 5-year survival rate. With more awareness about colon cancer screenings, the death rate from this disease continues to decline.

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Tips on Spotting Colorectal Symptoms

Spotting colorectal cancer symptoms early is vital to the prognosis of the condition. In cancer, getting early treatment is very important. If the cancer has been spotted on time, measures might be taken to eradicate the cancer cells from your body. During the first stages of cancer development, your doctor might opt for surgery. This way, they would be able to remove the cancer cells from the body without harming your normal ones. Late stages of cancer would require chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This type of treatment would not only kill your cancer cells but would also affect your normal cells.

The symptoms of colorectal cancer usually depend on the location and the size of the mass. However, most of them are pretty much the same. So, how do we spot the symptoms of colorectal cancer? Here are the most common manifestations of the condition:
• Changes in bowel movements. Different people manifest different signs. For some, their stools are looser than usual. For others, they frequently experience constipation. There are also some that have reported not being able to defecate at all. Not being able to defecate for several days is what usually prompts them to go see a doctor.
• Bleeding. Bleeding is almost always a common symptom of cancer. This could be due to a variety of reasons. One would be because the tumor has swelled to a certain size and has ruptured certain capillaries or veins, thus causing the bleeding. Another would be that the tumor itself has ruptured. Bleeding in cancer may not always be evident. There would be times that you would really be able to see fresh blood but, more often than not, the bleeding might go undetected. Black stools are great indicators of intestinal bleeding. The black color of the stools comes from the mixture or blood with fecal matter.
• Narrow stools. Some medical practitioners refer to this as ribbon-like stools. This could be caused by the narrowing of your colon or rectal passageway. This narrowing is caused by the tumor growth in your intestines. Your stool would not be able to pass through properly, thus the change in their appearance. So, when do you get alarmed? If you observe that your stools start looking like pencils, or you start to notice that your stools look more different than usual, consult your doctor immediately. Do not wait for your symptoms to worsen.
• The feeling of wanting to defecate again after just defecating could be caused by a growth in your bowels. The feeling is caused by the mass bumping into the opposite intestinal wall. Your bowels' messages to your brain would cause you to think that this is fecal matter, and you would try to push it out.

These four manifestations would be the most common symptoms felt by a patient that is suspected to have colorectal cancer. When you notice that you are exhibiting these symptoms, consult your doctor immediately. This way, he would be able to recommend some laboratory tests so that he could make an accurate colon cancer diagnosis.

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Apparent Signs and Symptoms of Colon Cancer

Apparent Signs and Symptoms of Colon Cancer

Colon Rectal Cancer Symptoms Treatment Therapy Cancer Malignancy Awareness Statistics Facts
Signs and symptoms of colon cancer are visible during the late years. Those who are experiencing these symptoms should immediately consult a doctor for proper diagnosis. Ignoring such signs and symptoms and without the immediate and proper diagnosis, the appropriate management for the illness can not be started in due time and there are possibilities that these might lead to complications or metastasis.
According to updates in studies and discoveries, the numbers of victims rises rapidly for the past 30 years. Records showed that most of those afflicted sufferers were in the age range of 30-50 years old. The most visible causes of this threat were addictive smoking, aging, family history, unbalanced diet, and some problems such as history of polyps in the body.
The onset of the signs and symptoms of this illness usually appears as early as in mid-thirties of age and can be noted also on later years. In most cases, a tumor can grow for years before you see any signs of colon cancer, therefore, it is best to have regular screenings or check-up rather than taking for granted the possible signs and symptoms of the ailment. Finding out and knowing what is wrong could be scary but this helps a lot in making right decisions.
You must take into considerations the different irregularities of your body processes because it may be the signs that you might be having an illness such as cancer.
The following are the most apparent signs of colon cancer
• thin stools/loosely formed
• stomach cramps/pain
• blood-stained feces
• unexplained weight loss
• feeling tired easily
• feeling like you have to "go" when you don't/urges in defecating
Colon cancer screening is vitally important in preventing it, although it can be uncomfortable. This is because in the early stages, people with such illness (colon cancer), typically have no symptoms at all and the cancer cells has spread beyond the colon, by the time a person learned of his/her ailment, treatment can be difficult and often impossible to cure.
Colon cancer screening is the single most important step you can take to reduce your risk. Routine screening identifies growths in the colon that may turn into cancer if they aren't removed. These growths, referred to as polyps or adenomas, are precursors to the disease. This means they show up in the colon years before it develops; they serve as a sort of "early warning" system. It is very rare that it occurs without first appearing as a polyp or adenoma.
This pathway-from a single pre-cancerous cell in the colon, to a visible polyp or adenoma, to colon cancer itself-is what makes screening so effective for this disease. The time between pre-cancer and cancer give doctors plenty of time to find, and most important, to treat and to remove these growths before they eventually become malignant growth (cancer). Therefore, screening must be done as early as possible to detect cells which would later on be malignant.
Educating oneself on the issues of colon cancer will be a great help for us to be aware of its signs/symptoms/diagnosis/treatment or management and the best is knowing measures on its preventions such as eating proper diet, enough rest, healthy lifestyle and clean living.

Apparent Signs and Symptoms of Colon Cancer

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Top Tips For Recovering From Colon Cancer Surgery

Many have succeeded at recovery from colon cancer surgery while many others have not. The differences between good results and poor results is often in the way anyone carrying it out approaches the task. Listed here are 3 guidelines to help you. Follow these pointers and you can be certain of good results!
First, you must give yourself a lot of time to heal. It really is most important that you rest and never exert yourself. If you do it in this way, your system will begin the healing process and you will be in a better health. In case you neglect it or forget to pay attention, you may be facing internal bleeding or worse. If you do it wrong by not resting and overexerting yourself then it's likely you will not begin feeling better.
Second, you should change your eating habits. This is essential, and will likely be crucial in determining whether you succeed or fail. It is important for these reasons: because eating the wrong foods stresses the colon, could cause gas and bloating that could tear your stitches, and eating a bad diet will decrease healing. Failing to accomplish this will more than likely mean a trip to see the doctor or a visit to the emergency room.
Third, you have to remember to go to your doctor regularly. Should you neglect this or fail to do it, you can develop serious problems that could result in further health problems or even death.
Follow these three suggestions for recovery from your colon cancer surgery and you will in all probability succeed and enjoy all the rewards and benefits that recovery from colon cancer surgery can bring you. Ignore them and the prediction is just not good. It's up to you! Follow them and reap the benefits; ignore them and you simply will most likely not. Fail to follow these tips and your recovery from colon cancer surgery will in all probability be a long and stressful experience for you.

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