Read our clear information about symptoms of advanced colon cancer, who is at risk, what are polyps, how to prevent it and Melanie’s sister’s story about surviving the disease. Treatment as well as prevention is more often than not managed by a drastic change in lifestyle.
Advanced colon cancer symptoms
Colon cancer can be present for several years without noticeable symptoms. Advanced colon cancer symptoms vary according to where in the large bowel the cancer is located.
Symptoms of cancer in the right colon
Because the right colon is spacious, colon cancers located here can grow to large sizes before they cause any symptoms.
Due to the slow loss of blood over a long period of time, right-sided cancers cause iron deficiency anemia.
Iron deficiency anemia causes:
- fatigue,
- weakness and
- shortness of breath
Symptoms of cancer in the left colon
Colon cancers located in the more narrow left colon most likely cause partial or complete bowel obstruction causing the following advanced symptoms:
- constipation,
- narrowed stool,
- diarrhea,
- abdominal pains,
- cramps, and
- bloating.
Rectal bleeding or bright red blood mixed with your stool may also indicate a growth near the end of the left colon or rectum.
Other symptoms that could point out an advanced colon cancer (or at least are alarming that something is seriously wrong with your health) are:
- abdominal distension: your stomach sticks out more that normal
- change in frequency or character of stool
- unexplained, persistent nausea and/or vomiting (this is what father had before he was diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer, although it was not clear father had colon cancer)
- unexplained weight loss
- sensation of incomplete evacuation after a bowel movement
- stools appearing reddish, dark cranberry or black in color for weeks.
Why you need to know these advanced colon cancer symptoms?
If you have blood in your stools combined with other of the above symptoms, then insist on further tests.
Do not end up like Trish, one of our metastatic liver cancer survivors:
About 2 years before I was diagnosed, I had blood entwined with my stool (excuse me). The doctor then said: saying it was probably a hemorrhoid. No further cancer tests were done.
Again: be aggressive when asking for a proper (and not a probable) diagnosis when you have any of the above advanced colon cancer symptoms.
It’s utterly a shame for the medical industry:
- on TV: colonoscopy is strongly promoted to prevent colon cancer performing early detection using colonoscopy colon cancer on healthy people when:
- unhealthy people like Trish showing colon cancer symptoms do not get the colonoscopy!
Polyps
- it may take five years or more for a polyp to reach a 1/2 inch (1 cm) diameter
- it normally takes such a polyp 5 to 10 years or more to turn into cancer
- it will then take again about 5 to 10 years before the advanced colon cancer symptoms are clearly visible.
Because colon cancers develop mostly from polyps, removal of these polyps during colonoscopy is an effective way to prevent colon cancer. Looking at the growth rate of polyps above, a colonoscopy every 5 years does makes sense.
Different types of colon polyps seen during colonoscopy
However it makes more sense to do a regular simple test of the stools to see whether there are unwanted traces of blood that are not noticeable by the naked eye.
Who is at risk to get colon cancer?
Colon cancer prevention using colonoscopy gets overshadowed when you notice that the red areas on the map above are the areas with the most colon cancer.
It shows that colon cancer is a disease from the western lifestyle. An easy-consumption-oriented lifestyle that ignores exercise and healthy food is logically a lifestyle that equally promotes the consumption of colonoscopy as a prevention.
In the US, 106.000 new colon cancer cases arise. In the UK the yearly number of new colon cancer patients is 35.000. 80% of these people are older than 60.
Knowing how the US is struggling with obesity, you need to know that obesity can increase the risk of cancer of the colon by up to 33%.
It’s utterly a shame for the medical industry and it’s society that obesity is not aggressively prevented, yet colonoscopy get’s overly promoted… I think by now you get an idea that society is not helping you too much.
Therefore you need to educate yourself. Again it’s sad that in school we spent so many hours getting maths… Did any of you ever get a course titled: good health?
Colon cancer prevention
The best way to prevent colon cancer is not getting born in the west, not being male and not getting old 🙂
Since smokers, drinkers, sedentary and obese persons are more likely to develop colon cancer, changing your lifestyle could drastically prevent your risk for getting colon cancer.
- people smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day are 250% more likely to develop polyps compared to similar non smokers
- people drinking have an 87% increased likelihood of having polyps compared to non drinkers
- people both smoking and drinking are 400% more likely to develop polyps compared to non smokers and non drinkers
What you eat is utterly important to prevent colon cancer: diets low in fruits, vegetables, protein from vegetable sources and roughage are associated with a higher incidence of polyps. And polyps can turn into colon cancer as you read above.
To prevent colon cancer your lifestyle should include :
- daily exercise
- a diet high in calcium like diary products (milk, yogurt) tofu, cabbage, bok-choy…. The government’s recommendation for adults ages 19-50 is 1000 mg of calcium per day. One cup of milk has 296 mg calcium.
- a diet high in vegetables (not the fiber but the ‘phytochemicals’ in vegetables prevent cancer. Phytohemicals are natural chemicals that plants produce to protect themselves against bacteria, viruses and fungi. These chemicals like flavonoids and phenolic acids are considered to reduce the risk of cancer with humans.).
Mathematicians amongst us can use the list below to calculate how much veggies they need to eat to get enough calcium:
- a quarter cup of sesame seeds has 351 mg calcium
- a cup of boiled spinach has 245 mg calcium
- a cup of boiled collard greens has 266 mg calcium
- 1 tablespoon of blackstrap molasses has about 137 mg calcium
- one cup of raw kelp has 136 mg calcium
- 2 tablespoons of raw tahini -sesame seed butter- have 126 mg calcium
- 2 cups of boiled broccoli have 124 mg calcium
- 1 cup of boiled chard has 102 mg calcium
- 1 cup boiled kale has 94 mg calcium
- 2 ounces (60g – 12 nuts) of Brazil nuts have 90 mg calcium
- 2 cups of raw celery have 81 mg calcium
- 1 ounce (30g – 23 nuts) of almonds has 75 mg calcium
- 1 medium papaya has 73 mg calcium
- 2 tablespoons of flax seeds have 52 mg calcium
- 1 medium orange has 52 mg calcium
- a diet with limited meat, fat or protein as these products appear to sit and break down in the gut into cancer causing compounds – carcinogens –
- a diet high in tomato or better, high in concentrated tomato products
- a diet high in turmeric: the spice responsible for the distinctive yellow color of curry
Conclusion: I don’t talk about "a quick fix" like colon cleanse, colon cleansing or a calcium diet supplement, I do talk about a change in lifestyle and recognizing the needs of our body.
Colon cancer treatment
We already mentioned 2 of our readers and their colon cancer treatments:
- Colon cancer spread to liver
Jim’s son who just recently started his colon cancer chemotherapy and is in good spirits.
- Lisa’s father’s colon cancer spread to his liver
Lisa’s father still not in remission after 130 counts of colon cancer chemo for stage iv colon cancer.
An third example how a secondary liver cancer – colon cancer treatment looks like illustrated by Melanie’s cancer story (commented at Colon cancer spread to liver) :
Hello,
Here is “our” cancer story…..
My older sister at the age of 47, was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in 2004.
Full blockage, emergency surgery to remove the tumor and part of her colon.
She came out of surgery with a colostomy bag.
2 lymph nodes involved.
After 6 months of chemotherapy for colon cancer she was “cancer free”. Colon reconnected.
Check ups through April 2006 : still cancer free.
Then unfortunately she became complacent and did not make any follow up visits……
December 9, 2008
After suffering in silence on and off for a year, the pain became unbearable. She has now been diagnosed with a 15cm tumor on her liver, which is colon cancer. (Not sure of the stage)
Port is in place and new cancer treatments with chemotherapy set to begin on the 17th to be given every 2 weeks.
Chemo for colon cancer – drugs prescribed:
- Avastin,
- 5-FU and
- Irinotecan [a widely used chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of colorectal cancer].
This chemotherapy treatment aims to shrink the tumor enough to take it out.
Doctors have not given any time line for shrinkage of the tumour or survival.
They have informed us:
- if all goes “WELL” and
- the tumor shrinks due to the chemotherapy treatment and
- the tumor can be removed by surgery then…
… it will still be a new way of life, since these tumors tend to return time and time again.
I was the main caregiver the first time around and will be this time with more support (thank God).
I feel that is important for me:
to be able to voice my concerns and
hopefully help anyone else going through the fight with cancer,
so I will try to keep up posting as best I can.
Thanks for listing to all my ramblings
Melanie
Thanks Melanie,
hugs and prayers for you and your family,
we wish you well!
Symptoms of advanced colon cancer summarized
Colon cancer can be prevented by changing your lifestyle in exercising more, eating more vegetables and less meat and less fat.
Colon cancer treatments often involve surgery and chemotherapy. Frequent follow ups are a must as the colon cancer most likely will return.
Blood in the stool or lasting abdominal discomfort are often symptoms of advanced colon cancer. Once you notice this, do insist in getting a proper diagnosis.