Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsFrequent SymptomsLocal SymptomsSystemic SymptomsComplicationsWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderNext in Colon Cancer GuideCauses and Risk Factors of Colon Cancer
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Frequent Symptoms
Local Symptoms
Systemic Symptoms
Complications
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Next in Colon Cancer Guide
Colon cancerusually doesn’t causesymptoms in the early stages. As the disease progresses, you may experience abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, and changes in the size and shape of your stool.Unintentional weight loss, iron deficiency anemia, andjaundicecan also occur.
This article explores the signs and symptoms of colon cancer. It also looks at some of the complications of colon cancer and when you should see a healthcare provider.
Verywell
Frequent Symptoms of Colon Cancer
At stage 1, colon cancer usually has no symptoms. This is why regular screening beginning at age 45 (and earlier for those with risk factors) is an important investment in your health.
Colon cancer symptoms come in two general varieties: local symptoms (based on where the tumor is located) and systemic symptoms (involving the whole body).
Local Symptoms of Colon Cancer
Local colon cancer symptoms affect your bathroom habits and the colon itself. These symptoms can include:
Changes in Your Bowel Habits
There is no such thing as a universally “normal” bowel movement. In fact, your healthcare provider really only cares about what is normal for you.
The size, color, and consistency of everyone’s stools are unique. Therefore, it is important to notice any change inyournormal patterns. This is often one of the first symptoms of colon cancer.
Change in Stool Frequency
A persistent change (more than a few days) in stool frequency is one potential sign of colon cancer. For example, if it is normal for you to havethree bowel movementsper day, and you are having only one per day, or one every other day, this may signal constipation.
On the other hand, if your typical pattern is to have a bowel movement every other day and you’re having one bowel movement per day, it may be unusually frequent and could signal a change.
Changes in Stool Shape
Changes in Stool Color
Bleeding in the colon due to colon cancer may result in bright red or dark red blood in the stools. More specifically, if bleeding is in the ascending (right-side) colon, the stools may be more maroon or purple in color since the bleeding is occurring farther away from the rectum.
If the tumor is in the descending (left-side) colon, the bleeding tends to result in bright red stools (the passage of fresh, red blood is called hematochezia). Blood in the stool is always a reason to see a healthcare provider, since it may be one of the first symptoms of colon cancer.
Difficulty With Stool Evacuation
A persistent feeling that you need to have a bowel movement, even when you just had one (calledtenesmus), may be a symptom of colon cancer.
Alternating Constipation and Diarrhea
Abdominal Discomfort
Abdominal pain or cramping may occur in those who have colon cancer. Colon cancer pain is usually felt in the abdomen, but its exact location can vary. Most people describe it as a dull cramping sensation.
Females can sometimes dismiss symptoms like abdominal discomfort because they can feel similar to menstrual symptoms.
Gas and Bloating
Excessive gas and bloating can be a sign of colon cancer. However, dietary triggers (for example, carbonated beverages, dairy products, and high-fiber foods) and digestive disorders (for example,inflammatory bowel disease) are common culprits.
Nausea and/or Vomiting
When nausea and vomiting are symptoms of colon cancer, it’s usually because a tumor is causing a bowel obstruction.
Nausea and vomiting may occur at any stage of colon cancer but are more common with advanced disease.It’s important to remember that the occurrence of nausea and vomiting alone, without other colon cancer symptoms, is not likely an indication of cancer.
Systemic Symptoms of Colon Cancer
Systemic colon cancer symptoms are those that affect your whole body.
Unintentional Weight Loss
If youlose weight without trying, it is an important symptom that shouldn’t be ignored. Colon cancer is only one of several serious conditions that might first present themselves with unexplained weight loss.
The basis behind unintentional weight loss with cancer is that tumors use the body’s blood and nutrients to thrive and grow. In addition, some tumors release chemicals that increase the body’s metabolism, which can further lead to unexplained weight loss.
Unexplained weight loss is described as losing 10 or more pounds or at least 5% of your body weight over a six- to 12-month period.For example, if you are a 150-pound person who lost 7.5 pounds in a year for no apparent reason, you should contact your healthcare provider.
Unusual loss of appetite is another sign to look out for. While the loss of appetite is most commonly a stage 4 colon cancer symptom, it has been noted in some people with early colon cancer.
Unexplained Fatigue
It’s not uncommon for people to have a sense that something is amiss in their body, even if they don’t have specific symptoms to back up that feeling. Trust your intuition. If you are concerned that something is wrong, make an appointment to talk with your healthcare provider.
Rare Systemic Symptoms
Stage 4 colon cancer symptoms may include:
Complications of colon cancer may include anemia, jaundice, and bowel obstruction.
Iron Deficiency Anemia
Due to microscopic bleeding from a tumor, iron deficiency anemia may occur as the first sign of colon cancer.
Anemia is diagnosed with a blood test, called acomplete blood count (CBC), and may cause symptoms of unusual tiredness, dizziness, palpitations, and shortness of breath.
Jaundice
Another potential complication of colon cancer is jaundice, a condition in which the skin and whites of the eyes take on a yellowish appearance.
Jaundice may occur when colon cancer spreads to the liver, a common site of metastasis.It may also occur due to pressure from a colon cancer on important structures related to the liver.
Bowel Obstruction
Abowel obstruction from colon cancermeans that the tumor is physically blocking the intestines.
Depending on the severity of the blockage, solids, liquids, and even gas may be prevented from passing through the colon. This can lead to painful stomach cramps, bloating, constipation, and sometimes nausea and/or vomiting.
While a nasogastric tube may be placed temporarily to reduce swelling and remove the fluid and gas buildup of a bowel obstruction, surgery to remove the obstructing tumor or a stent placement (to open up the blocked area) is often required.
While many people have heard that having blood in their stools may be a sign of colon cancer, just about any change in your bowel habits is worth evaluating. While you may be anxious about the possibility of having colon cancer, early diagnosis offers you the best opportunity for successfultreatment. In many cases, something else entirely is going on—something less serious than cancer.
Research has shown that there is a significant delay between when people first notice signs of colon cancer and when it is actually diagnosed.This lag time could result in colon cancer spreading further, which lowers the chance of successful treatment.
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10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What are the symptoms of colorectal cancer?Shaukat A, Kahi CJ, Burke CA, Rabenecs L, Sauer BG, Rex DK.ACG clinical guidelines: colorectal cancer screening 2021.Am J Gastroenterol. 2021;116(3):458-479. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000001122Cleveland Clinic.Gastrointestinal diseases.Cleveland Clinic.Colorectal (colon) cancer.Cleveland Clinic.Large bowel (intestinal) obstruction.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Colon cancer symptoms.Cleveland Clinic.Unexplained weight loss.National Cancer Institute.Metastatic cancer.Cleveland Clinic.Detecting cancer: colorectal cancer pearls for primary care physicians.Walter FM, Emery JD, Mendonca S, et al.Symptoms and patient factors associated with longer time to diagnosis for colorectal cancer: results from a prospective cohort study.Br J Cancer. 2016;115(5):533-541. doi:10.1038/bjc.2016.221Additional ReadingAmerican Cancer Society.What is Colorectal Cancer?.Del Giudice ME, Vella ET, Hey A, Simunovic M, Harris W, Levitt C.Systematic review of clinical features of suspected colorectal cancer in primary care.Can Fam Physician. 2014;60(8):e405-15. https://www.cfp.ca/content/60/8/e405.long.John SK, George S, Primrose JN, Fozard JB.Symptoms and signs in patients with colorectal cancer.Colorectal Dis. 2011 Jan;13(1):17-25. doi:10.1111/j.1463-1318.2010.02221.xLacy BE, Mearin F, Chang L, et al.Bowel disorders.Gastroenterology. 2016;150(6):1393-1407.e5. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2016.02.031Libutti S, Salz L, Willett C, and Levine R. Chapter 57: Cancer of the colon. In: DeVita VT, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA, eds.DeVita, Hellman, and Rosenberg’s Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015.National Cancer Institute.Gastrointestinal complications - patient version.National Cancer Institute.Colon cancer treatment (PDQ)—health professional version.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What are the symptoms of colorectal cancer?Shaukat A, Kahi CJ, Burke CA, Rabenecs L, Sauer BG, Rex DK.ACG clinical guidelines: colorectal cancer screening 2021.Am J Gastroenterol. 2021;116(3):458-479. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000001122Cleveland Clinic.Gastrointestinal diseases.Cleveland Clinic.Colorectal (colon) cancer.Cleveland Clinic.Large bowel (intestinal) obstruction.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Colon cancer symptoms.Cleveland Clinic.Unexplained weight loss.National Cancer Institute.Metastatic cancer.Cleveland Clinic.Detecting cancer: colorectal cancer pearls for primary care physicians.Walter FM, Emery JD, Mendonca S, et al.Symptoms and patient factors associated with longer time to diagnosis for colorectal cancer: results from a prospective cohort study.Br J Cancer. 2016;115(5):533-541. doi:10.1038/bjc.2016.221Additional ReadingAmerican Cancer Society.What is Colorectal Cancer?.Del Giudice ME, Vella ET, Hey A, Simunovic M, Harris W, Levitt C.Systematic review of clinical features of suspected colorectal cancer in primary care.Can Fam Physician. 2014;60(8):e405-15. https://www.cfp.ca/content/60/8/e405.long.John SK, George S, Primrose JN, Fozard JB.Symptoms and signs in patients with colorectal cancer.Colorectal Dis. 2011 Jan;13(1):17-25. doi:10.1111/j.1463-1318.2010.02221.xLacy BE, Mearin F, Chang L, et al.Bowel disorders.Gastroenterology. 2016;150(6):1393-1407.e5. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2016.02.031Libutti S, Salz L, Willett C, and Levine R. Chapter 57: Cancer of the colon. In: DeVita VT, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA, eds.DeVita, Hellman, and Rosenberg’s Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015.National Cancer Institute.Gastrointestinal complications - patient version.National Cancer Institute.Colon cancer treatment (PDQ)—health professional version.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What are the symptoms of colorectal cancer?Shaukat A, Kahi CJ, Burke CA, Rabenecs L, Sauer BG, Rex DK.ACG clinical guidelines: colorectal cancer screening 2021.Am J Gastroenterol. 2021;116(3):458-479. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000001122Cleveland Clinic.Gastrointestinal diseases.Cleveland Clinic.Colorectal (colon) cancer.Cleveland Clinic.Large bowel (intestinal) obstruction.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Colon cancer symptoms.Cleveland Clinic.Unexplained weight loss.National Cancer Institute.Metastatic cancer.Cleveland Clinic.Detecting cancer: colorectal cancer pearls for primary care physicians.Walter FM, Emery JD, Mendonca S, et al.Symptoms and patient factors associated with longer time to diagnosis for colorectal cancer: results from a prospective cohort study.Br J Cancer. 2016;115(5):533-541. doi:10.1038/bjc.2016.221
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What are the symptoms of colorectal cancer?
Shaukat A, Kahi CJ, Burke CA, Rabenecs L, Sauer BG, Rex DK.ACG clinical guidelines: colorectal cancer screening 2021.Am J Gastroenterol. 2021;116(3):458-479. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000001122
Cleveland Clinic.Gastrointestinal diseases.
Cleveland Clinic.Colorectal (colon) cancer.
Cleveland Clinic.Large bowel (intestinal) obstruction.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Colon cancer symptoms.
Cleveland Clinic.Unexplained weight loss.
National Cancer Institute.Metastatic cancer.
Cleveland Clinic.Detecting cancer: colorectal cancer pearls for primary care physicians.
Walter FM, Emery JD, Mendonca S, et al.Symptoms and patient factors associated with longer time to diagnosis for colorectal cancer: results from a prospective cohort study.Br J Cancer. 2016;115(5):533-541. doi:10.1038/bjc.2016.221
American Cancer Society.What is Colorectal Cancer?.Del Giudice ME, Vella ET, Hey A, Simunovic M, Harris W, Levitt C.Systematic review of clinical features of suspected colorectal cancer in primary care.Can Fam Physician. 2014;60(8):e405-15. https://www.cfp.ca/content/60/8/e405.long.John SK, George S, Primrose JN, Fozard JB.Symptoms and signs in patients with colorectal cancer.Colorectal Dis. 2011 Jan;13(1):17-25. doi:10.1111/j.1463-1318.2010.02221.xLacy BE, Mearin F, Chang L, et al.Bowel disorders.Gastroenterology. 2016;150(6):1393-1407.e5. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2016.02.031Libutti S, Salz L, Willett C, and Levine R. Chapter 57: Cancer of the colon. In: DeVita VT, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA, eds.DeVita, Hellman, and Rosenberg’s Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015.National Cancer Institute.Gastrointestinal complications - patient version.National Cancer Institute.Colon cancer treatment (PDQ)—health professional version.
American Cancer Society.What is Colorectal Cancer?.
Del Giudice ME, Vella ET, Hey A, Simunovic M, Harris W, Levitt C.Systematic review of clinical features of suspected colorectal cancer in primary care.Can Fam Physician. 2014;60(8):e405-15. https://www.cfp.ca/content/60/8/e405.long.
John SK, George S, Primrose JN, Fozard JB.Symptoms and signs in patients with colorectal cancer.Colorectal Dis. 2011 Jan;13(1):17-25. doi:10.1111/j.1463-1318.2010.02221.x
Lacy BE, Mearin F, Chang L, et al.Bowel disorders.Gastroenterology. 2016;150(6):1393-1407.e5. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2016.02.031
Libutti S, Salz L, Willett C, and Levine R. Chapter 57: Cancer of the colon. In: DeVita VT, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA, eds.DeVita, Hellman, and Rosenberg’s Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015.
National Cancer Institute.Gastrointestinal complications - patient version.
National Cancer Institute.Colon cancer treatment (PDQ)—health professional version.
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