Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer

Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer if detected and treated early can be prevented and treated. Data indicate if this is done then the number of casualties caused by colorectal cancer could be down to 50%. This makes increasing awareness of colorectal cancer is important to note.

Over the last few years, Colorectal Cancer Care Month which falls in March has been celebrated in many countries around the world. Months of colorectal cancer care launched in Europe at the initiative of colorectal Europacolon patient support groups. Since 2009, Indonesia began to follow the warnings in colorectal cancer care so hopefully more people begin to recognize the disease and be aware of the symptoms.

Symptoms of colorectal cancer depends on the location of tumor in bowel and whether it has spread elsewhere in the body (metastasis). Most of the symptoms of the disease can occur as well, and then no symptoms mentioned here is diagnostic of colorectal cancer. Symptoms and signs are divided into local, the Constitution (affecting the whole body) and metastatic (caused by spread to other organs).

Local

Local symptoms are more likely if the tumor is located near the anus. There may be a change in bowel habit (new-onset constipation or diarrhea in the absence of other causes), and a feeling of incomplete defecation (tenesmus) and reduction in diameter of stool; tenesmus and change in stool shape are both characteristic of rectal cancer. Lower gastrointestinal bleeding, including the passage of bright red blood in the stool, may indicate colorectal cancer, as may the increased mucus. Melena, black stool with a lingering appearance, normally occurs in upper gastrointestinal bleeding (such as from a duodenal ulcer) but is sometimes encountered in colorectal cancer when the disease is located at the beginning of the large intestine.

Tumors were large enough to fill the entire lumen of the bowel can cause bowel obstruction. This situation is characterized by constipation, abdominal pain, abdominal distension and vomiting. This sometimes leads to obstructed and distended bowel sculpt and cause of peritonitis.

Certain local effects of colorectal cancer occur when the disease has become more advanced. Large tumors are more likely to see feel the abdomen, and can be seen by a doctor on physical examination. The disease can affect other organs, and can cause blood or air in the urine (invasion of the bladder) or vaginal (invasion of the female reproductive tract).

Constitution

If the tumor has caused chronic occult bleeding, iron deficiency anemia may occur; may be experienced as fatigue, palpitations and noticed as his demeanor (pale appearance of the skin). Colorectal cancer can also cause weight loss, usually due to a decrease in appetite.

Symptoms constitutational more unusual and unexplained fever is one of several paraneoplastic syndromes. Paraneoplastic syndrome is the most common is thrombosis, usually deep vein thrombosis.

Metastasis

Colorectal cancer most often spreads to the liver. It can go unnoticed, but the deposition in the liver can cause jaundice and abdominal pain (due to stretching of the capsule). If the tumor is blocking the bile duct deposits, jaundice can be accompanied by other features of biliary obstruction, such as pale feces.