Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPainWithdrawalChanges in BreathingAgitation and ConfusionThe RallyOther SymptomsAdvanced Cancer Symptoms
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Pain
Withdrawal
Changes in Breathing
Agitation and Confusion
The Rally
Other Symptoms
Advanced Cancer Symptoms
Dying from colon cancer in the end stage means that treatments are no longer working or need to be stopped due to side effects. The cancer has spread throughout the body, and the condition is considered terminal. However, the timeline for when a person passes can vary significantly.
There are several symptoms seen in individuals with colon cancer that indicate death may be near. These can include:
Understanding what to expect during the end stages of colon cancer can help you and your loved ones prepare.
Kiyoshi Hijiki / Moment / Getty Images
One of the most fearedsymptoms of deathis pain. If your loved one is dying from colon cancer, they most likely have diffuse metastases. That means their cancer has spread from the colon to other organs and lymph nodes. Metastatic cancer often causes pain in the location where the cancer has spread.
When someone withcancer experiences pain, their healthcare provider may prescribe opioid narcotics or powerful pain medicines. If your loved one cannot swallow the medicine, you can give some preparationssublingually(under the tongue) or rectally as a suppository.
Individuals nearing the end of life often sleep a lot more. This can make it challenging to know if theirloved one is in pain. However, even at rest, there are signs of discomfort that you can watch for:
Before assuming pain is present, check the environment. For instance, there may be simple reasons for these signs of discomfort, such as wet sheets or a fever.
Coming in and out of consciousness is typical during the weeks before the end of life. But in thedays and hours preceding death, most people enter a sleeping or almost comatose-like state.
Withdrawing is not a voluntary choice—your loved one is not ignoring you. Similarly, this withdrawal is not an effect of the medications they are taking for comfort, as many family members fear.
It is not entirely understood why people withdraw, but it may be a combination of physical and mental exhaustion from fighting illness.
Changes in the way your loved one breathesmight be a signal that the end of life is approaching. For example, if you start to see pauses between breaths or hear an audible gurgling noise, also known as thedeath rattle, your loved one is most likely within hours of passing on.
To make them more comfortable, try elevating the head of the bed and consider offering less fluids. Fluids can accumulate in the throat and make gurgling worse.However, reach out to their hospice nurse or healthcare provider before withholding or significantly decreasing fluids for a significant time.
Gurgling is not thought to cause people discomfort, though it may be distressing to those around them.
Symptoms at the end of life can include periods of confusion, agitation, and even hallucinations. Your loved one may see things in the room, angels, or even people you cannot see. They may not recognize you, think you are someone else, or seem upset and out of sorts for no apparent reason.
A rally happens when someone who is dying develops moments of complete clarity or alertness. They might even request food after abstaining for days. Not everyone will experience a rally at the end of life, but it can confuse the family if they do.
Some family members might see this as a hopeful sign that their loved one is improving.No one knows why some people experience this and other people do not. A rally may last up to a few days or occur just for a moment or two before death.
Other Symptoms When Someone Is Nearing Death
Other symptoms that the body is shutting down and an individual is close to passing include:
When an individual has passed, their breathing and pulse stop, they may eliminate stool and urine, and their eyes stop moving but may remain open, with their pupils remaining large and non-reactive to light.
Symptoms of Advanced Colon Cancer
For those with localized colon cancer (cancer that has not spread), the five-year survival rate is 91%. Meanwhile, for those withstage 4 colon cancerthat has spread to distant regions of the body, their five-year survival rate is 13%.
How quickly colon cancer leads to death depends on several factors, such as how much the cancer has spread, your age and overall health, how well the cancer responds to treatment, and more.
Stage 4 colon cancer is often considered terminal cancer. This is because cancer that has spread throughout the body is far more challenging to treat. Typically, treatment options such as chemotherapy and surgery can lengthen how long someone lives but not get rid of the cancer.
The early stages of colon cancer are often asymptomatic. As the disease progresses, signs and symptoms of progressing colon cancer may include:
Additional symptoms of colon cancer may include:
Is There a Stage 5?Sometimes, individuals refer to advanced stage 4 colon cancer as stage 5 colon cancer. Medically, there is no stage 5 colon cancer.In advanced stage 4 colon cancer, the cancer has spread to distant sites in the body other than the colon. You may see additional symptoms depending on where the cancer spreads.
Is There a Stage 5?
Sometimes, individuals refer to advanced stage 4 colon cancer as stage 5 colon cancer. Medically, there is no stage 5 colon cancer.In advanced stage 4 colon cancer, the cancer has spread to distant sites in the body other than the colon. You may see additional symptoms depending on where the cancer spreads.
Sometimes, individuals refer to advanced stage 4 colon cancer as stage 5 colon cancer. Medically, there is no stage 5 colon cancer.
In advanced stage 4 colon cancer, the cancer has spread to distant sites in the body other than the colon. You may see additional symptoms depending on where the cancer spreads.
The liver is a common place for colon cancer to spread and can result in jaundice. Additionally, the liver, abdominal wall, and ovaries (in females) are other common places of spread.Colon cancer that has spread to the lungs may cause a cough, shortness of breath, or other respiratory symptoms.
Summary
It is often helpful to understand the death and dying process when colon cancer is terminal. Understanding what to look for can help ease worries and bring peace of mind for caretakers over what to expect.
Healthcare providers will likely ensure your loved one has pain medications to reduce discomfort. Many individuals receive care from specialty providers such as palliative care providers and hospice nurses.
In the final days and weeks, sleeping a lot, confusion, and changes in breathing patterns are common. Some people, but not all, develop moments of clarity and alertness soon before they pass.
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.
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