Late Flags: The Tell-Tale Signs of Colorectal Cancers

Like several other cancers, colon and rectal cancers typically cause no symptoms until the advanced stages of the cancer. Therefore, the cancer often goes undetected in its earliest stages when it would be easier to treat. Unfortunately, once the symptoms do start to show, they can sometimes be mistaken for signs of other conditions. Still, being aware of the common signs (and letting your doctor know if you have them) can potentially lead to an earlier diagnosis than if one simply relies on regular screenings by a doctor.

According to the American Cancer Society, some of the common signs of colorectal cancer include:

• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• A change in bowel habits
• Abdominal pain
• Intestinal obstruction
• Bloating
• Weight loss
• Change of appetite
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• A mass detected in the abdomen
• An enlarged liver
• Enlarged lymph nodes
• Fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema)
• Fluid in the abdomen (ascites)
• Low red blood cell count or enlarged red cells (anemia)
• Liver functioning abnormally
• Abnormal amounts of sodium, potassium, and chloride
• Kidney functioning abnormally

It is important to remember that having one or more of these symptoms does not mean you have colorectal cancer, and in fact, most people who have these symptoms don’t actually have colon or rectal cancer. As previously mentioned, these symptoms can often be caused by various other ailments of the body. If you suspect you have one or more of these symptoms, however, your doctor may want to run some diagnostic screening tests to check for any cancerous polyps.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with lung cancer in Georgia and feel it was discovered late or originally missed by your doctor, please request a copy of our free book, I Have Cancer…Should It Have Been Caught Earlier?, and contact an experienced Atlanta medical malpractice and colorectal cancer lawyer at the Dover Law Firm at 770-518-1133 for more information.