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Colon & Rectal Center:
Clinical Conditions & Program Offerings

Symptoms of Colon Cancer

Colon and rectal cancer can be present much of the time without symptoms. However, symptoms of colorectal cancer can include:

• A change in bowel habits such as diarrhea, constipation, or narrowing of the stool that lasts for more than a few days
• Still feeling the need to have a bowel movement even after you've just had one
• Bleeding from the rectum or blood in the stool
• Cramping or abdominal discomfort lasting for more than a week
• Unexplained anemia or weight loss
• Intestinal obstruction

If you have any of these symptoms you should report them to your physician and go for a follow-up visit.

Detecting Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer can almost always be caught in its earliest and most curable stages with a colonoscopy exam. Men and women age 50 and older should have a colonoscopy (an outpatient procedure that utilizes a flexible scope placed inside the colon through the rectum, allowing the physician to see inside the colon through fiberoptic projections on to a video screen). Others (listed below) should undergo a colonoscopy before the age of 50:

• People with a history of colon polyps
• People with inflammatory bowel disease
• People with a first degree relative (mother, father, brother or sister) who developed colon cancer before the age of 60

Stages of Colon Cancer

The severity of colon cancer is described in stages.

• Stage 0—considered a precursor to cancer
• Stage 1—cancer is on the inner layer of the colon
• Stage 2—cancer has through the muscle wall of the colon
• Stage 3—cancer has spread to the lymph nodes
• Stage 4—cancer has spread to distant organs

Treatment

The treatment of colon cancer depends on how far it has progressed. This progression is noted in stages:

Stage 0 colon cancer may be treated by simply cutting out the lesion (this is normally done as soon as it is discovered - during a colonoscopy exam). In some cases of stage 0 colon cancer, more extensive surgery may be needed - similar to the treatment for stages 1, 2, and 3 colon cancer.

Stages 1, 2 and 3 colon cancer usually require the removal of the affected section of colon with the tumor and reattachment of the ends of the healthy portion. This procedure only rarely requires a colostomy.

Stage 3 colon cancer almost always will be treated with chemotherapy after surgery. An oncologist will determine the best treatment for each case.

Stage 4 colon cancer will usually be treated with chemotherapy to shrink the tumor, to lengthen and improve the quality of life.

Now Accepting New Patients.
Most Insurances Accepted.

Please call for an appointment.
Phone: 410-783-5800
Tollfree: 1-800-MD-Mercy (1-800-636-3729)