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The symptoms of colon cancer are not necessarily present in the initial stage of the problem. Most of the times they do not appear or are hard to detect until the problem reach to an advanced stage.

However, it is always better to know about those which can be detected. Mentioned below are some known symptoms of colon cancer. In case if any of the mentioned symptoms is present for more than a week, do seek advice of your physician about the screening for colon cancer.

Change in Bowel Habits

Tumor in the bowel brings an observed change in the habits like defecating. With the growth of tumor, you may feel the need of defecating less often and the large size of tumor will lead to constipation.

The only way to know this is to get regular screening done instead of waiting for the symptoms to appear on the surface.

Thinned Stool

The presence of tumor causes obstruction and with the growth of obstruction there is reduction in the space around. In case the tumor is present at the side of the colon tube passage, it may result into the narrowing of the stool.

Cramping or Bloating in the Stomach

Another symptom in the list of colon cancer symptoms is bloating or cramping in the stomach. Boating may be due to a bowel obstruction while cramping may be the result of constipation or diarrhea. In the advanced stages of colon cancer, tumor perforating i.e. poking through near the wall of the bowel, can lead to extreme abdominal cramping.

Blood in the Stool

There may be blood in the stool which is due to the bleeding of the tumor. Nevertheless, if the tumor is present in the right colon, it is very much possible that the blood will dry up before the faeces are removed from the body. But if it is towards the left or in the rectum, it may remain fresh and thus will appear bright red.

Inexplicable Weight Loss

If you are losing weight without making any deliberate efforts, it is really something to ponder over. Often one has weight loss due to the fact that something wrong is going in the body. However, in colorectal cancer, unexplained loss in weight is one of the colon cancer symptoms and it indicates that the bowel is being blocked at some place, along the passage, by a tumor.

Exhaustion and Feelings of Fatigue

You are having proper sleep but still feel exhausted. There may be more than one reason and work load may not be the obvious one. The first possibility is that it may be due to anemia which takes place if the red blood cells are not able to carry sufficient oxygen as much they are required to. Consequently, you might feel exhausted. But it may also be due to tumors. Tumors can also be the cause of anemia.

Feel Like to Defecate but Not

You may feel like to go for defecation but you do not. This kind of sensation in the body may take place due to a tumor growing in the end of the colon or rectum.

The best option is to have screening for colon cancer on regular basis instead of depending on appearance of colon cancer symptoms.