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Page: Symptoms
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Frequently, the patient may be asymptomatic. This is one reason why many organizations recommend periodic screening for the disease with fecal occult blood testing and colonoscopy. When symptoms do occur, they depend on the site of the lesion. Generally speaking, the nearer the lesion is to the anus, the more bowel symptoms there will be, such as:
* Change in bowel habits
o change in frequency (constipation and/or diarrhoea),
o change in the quality of stools
o change in consistency of stools
* Bloody stools or rectal bleeding
* Stools with mucus
* Tarry stools (melena)
* Feeling of incomplete defecation (Tenesmus) (only associated with rectal cancer)
* Reduction in calibre of faeces (only associated with rectal cancer)
* Bowel obstruction (rare)
Constitutional symptoms
Especially in the cases of cancer in the ascending colon, sometimes only the less specific constitutional symptoms will be found:
* Anemia, with symptoms such as dizziness, malaise and palpitations. Clinically there will be pallor and a complete blood picture will confirm the low hemoglobin level.
* Anorexia
* Asthenia, weakness
* Unexplained weight loss.
Metastatic symptoms
There may also be symptoms attributed to distant metastasis:
* Shortness of breath as in lung metastasis
* Epigastric or right upper quadrant pain, as in liver metastasis. Rarely can there be jaundice if the secondary lesion compromises the bile outflow. Clinically there might be hepatomegaly.
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Important notice:
The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other
qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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