anemia and colon cancer symptoms
An unexpected weight loss accompanied by other symptoms can indicate colon cancer. The pain and discomfort caused by a tumor can lead to loss of appetite, which in turn results in weight loss. The unexplained weight loss can be a sign that a tumor is releasing chemicals that are increasing one’s metabolism. Polyps develop when cells lining the colon reproduce too quickly. These polyps can become cancerous, invading the colon wall and surrounding blood vessels and spreading to other parts of the body. Many people with colorectal cancer experience no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. When symptoms appear, they will likely vary, depending on the cancer’s size and location in the large intestine. Studies suggest that the average duration of symptoms (from onset to diagnosis) is 14 weeks. Many of these symptoms can be caused by conditions other than colorectal cancer, such as infection, hemorrhoids, or irritable bowel syndrome. Still, if you have any of these problems, it’s important to see your doctor right away so the cause can be found and treated, if needed. However, the following symptoms may indicate colon cancer. Of course, other conditions can cause the same symptoms, such as hemorrhoids, IBD, infection, etc., so patients should consult their doctor if they experience any of the following symptoms. Abdominal pain. Over time, the blood loss can lead to iron deficiency anemia and can lower oxygen levels in the blood. Lower sodium levels in the blood due to dehydration can also contribute to fatigue. What to do: Pay attention to stools for any change of color or sign of blood. Colorectal cancer might not cause symptoms right away, but if it does, it may cause one or more of these symptoms: 1  A change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation, or narrowing of the stool, that lasts for more than a few days. 2  A feeling that you need to have a bowel movement that is not relieved by having one. Colorectal Cancer Signs and Symptoms. Colorectal cancers can often bleed into the digestive tract. Sometimes the blood can be seen in the stool or make it look darker, but often the stool looks normal. But over time, the blood loss can build up and can lead to low red blood cell counts (anemia). I posted here a few months ago about my mother's anemia. She was diagnosed with colon cancer two days ago. Needless to say, I'm devastated and terrified. To make matters worse, everything I've read says that anemia almost always means advanced colon cancer. When you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells, you have a condition called anemia. This means your blood has too little hemoglobin (Hgb), the part of the red blood cell (RBC) that carries oxygen to all the cells in your body. Anemia often starts slowly, so you may not even notice symptoms at first. As your hemoglobin level gets lower you may have one or more of these symptoms: Fast heart beat. Anemia refers to a lowering of red blood cell count. In terms of colon cancer anemia may be caused by a microscopic amount of chronic blood loss in the stool. In this case, iron is lost with the red blood cells and can slowly deplete the total body stores of iron.
A microscopic amount of chronic blood loss in the stool.