Colon cancer is a serious disease that begins in the colon, a part of your digestive tract. This organ is a long, coiled tube that runs from the small intestine to the rectum (the outer layer of your large intestine). It absorbs water and nutrients before they are eliminated from your body.
Early stage colon cancer symptoms include a change in bowel habits that lasts for longer than a few days, such as changes in consistency or color of stools or diarrhea. These may occur in people who are healthy or have chronic gastrointestinal problems, but they can also be signs of colon cancer.
Rectal bleeding or blood in the stool is another sign of a potential problem, especially if it happens more frequently than normal and doesn’t go away with a bowel movement. This symptom can be a sign of colorectal cancer or other serious issues, so talk to your doctor right away if you have blood in your stools.
Stomach pain or cramps that don’t go away after a bowel movement is also a possible symptom of colon cancer. This pain can be in your abdomen or pelvis, and it may come along with bloating, a feeling of fullness and unexpected weight gain.
Abdominal discomfort, nausea or vomiting is a common symptom of colon cancer, especially if it’s accompanied by severe bloating and cramps that don’t go away after having a bowel movement. These symptoms can also be a sign of chronic constipation, which is a condition that can develop due to a number of factors, including poor diet and lack of exercise.
The severity of these symptoms depends on where the cancer is located in the body and what treatment you receive. This varies from person to person, so it’s important to talk with your healthcare team about what treatment options are best for you.
If you have a diagnosis of stage 4 colon cancer, your treatment will depend on how far the disease has spread and your goals for treatment. Some people will need surgery to remove cancer and any nearby lymph nodes, while others will need chemotherapy and other targeted treatments.
What is stage 3?
In stage 3, cancer cells have grown into the outer layers of your colon wall, but they don’t extend to surrounding organs. They can also grow into the peritoneum, a membrane that encloses your abdominal organs and holds them in place.
This category is also known as T3 tumors or N0 tumors. N0 means that the cancer hasn’t spread to any other organs, like the lungs or lymph nodes.
N1 tumors have spread to three or fewer nearby lymph nodes, while N2 tumors have spread to four or more nearby lymph nodes.
M0 tumors have not spread to any other organs, but the cancer has spread to one or more of your lymph nodes in the peritoneum.
Your health provider can tell you if you have stage 3 or 4 colon cancer by conducting a colonoscopy and looking for any abnormalities in your colon and/or rectum. Your healthcare team can biopsy any suspicious masses that are found during the test.
