Watch for these colon cancer symptons. 

Colon cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States, and causes over 50,000 deaths in the country each year; which is about as many American soldiers that died in the entire Vietnam conflict. 

This is an especially tragic and frustrating fact because the majority of the deaths caused by colon cancer could have been prevented. 

Colon cancer symptoms include pain in the abdomen, diarrhea, blood in the feces, and sometimes constipation or even blocked bowel movements.  Colon cancer symptoms range from very mild, to extremely severe.  There are often cases of colon cancer that are virtually without symptoms until the latest stages. 

It is not a good idea to wait until you have noticeable colon cancer symptoms before learning about the disease.  Once you’ve developed colon cancer symptoms, the disease has probably entered middle or late stages, and there is a much better chance that it has spread to other areas of your body.  Once it has spread, your likelihood of survival lowers dramatically.

If you catch colon cancer in the earlier stages, there is an extremely high chance that you’ll recover and survive.  Over 90% of people who are diagnosed with an early stage colon cancer are able to undergo a successful surgical removal of the cancer before it spreads.  It is important to note that in the beginning stages, colon cancer symptoms are rarely noticeable, so it is only people who regularly go in for a colonoscopy or other colon exam that will be able to catch the disease early.

Colon cancer also has a tendency to run in families.  There is a genetic trait for developing ‘polyps’ that can be passed down from one generation to another, and this trait vastly increases your odds of getting colon cancer.   If you parents, grandparents, or siblings have even been diagnosed with colon cancer, there is a good chance you may have this polyp gene, and it is especially important for you to get checked regularly once you reach the age of 40. 

Clearly, it is extremely important then to get a regular colon exam, whether the disease runs in your family or not.  Also, contrary to some myths, women are as likely to develop colon cancer as men.  People of African decent seem to be especially prone to the disease, and should consider getting their first colon exam starting even earlier than 40. 

No one likes the thought of a colon exam, as they are certainly unpleasant, but late stage colon cancer symptoms are definitely worse.