question: Pain in left hip that comes and goes, but only lasts for about 10 seconds each time. It s such a immense pain, it literally takes my breath away and almost puts me on the floor! Colon cancer is in my family. I am worried this may be part of the problem. The pain feels as though a large butcher knife stabs me in the left hip, and is being twisted. But only for those few seconds, until the next one comes. I never know when it will come, so it catches me off guard every time.