Doctors don’t know exactly what causes colon cancer. However, several risk factors can increase a patient’s chances of developing the disease, including using tobacco products, poor diet, drinking excess alcohol, family history, inherited syndromes, racial and ethnic background, genetics, obesity, age, sedentary lifestyle, and type II diabetes. These factors can allow mutated DNA colon or rectum cells to grow out of control, divide, spread and form cancerous tumors in the colon.

Colon cancer is America’s third most common type of cancer. It typically grows slowly and typically isn’t diagnosed until age 50 or older. Regular exercise, eating a nutritious, high-fiber diet, taking an at home colon cancer test and having regular cancer screenings done, can help those with risk factors for colon cancer protect their health. Primary symptoms of colon cancer are:

1. Major changes in bowel habits
The first signs of colon cancer include a major change in bowel habits. This includes bowel movement frequency and stool consistency. If those irregular bowel habits happen regularly, schedule a colon cancer examination.

2. Blood in the stool
Having blood in the stool can be alarming for most people. When colon cancer tumors slowly penetrate the bowel wall it can lead to bleeding. If a person sees blood in their commode, on the toilet tissue or their underwear. These can be early signs of colon cancer.

3. Unintentional weight loss
Unintentional weight loss is a common symptom of colon cancer. If you have not made any dietary or lifestyle changes and you begin losing weight rapidly, it can be a sign you have colon cancer. Monitor your weight loss weekly. Cancerous colon cells can speed up the metabolism and cause unhealthy weight loss.

4. Narrower stools than usual
People with colon cancer can have stools that are narrower than usual. It is caused by a growing amount of intestinal lumen in the colon’s intestinal lining as colon cancer progressively reduces the space through which stools regularly pass. This can result in ‘pencil thin’ stool as the space narrows.

5. Diarrhea
People suffering with colon cancer often experience alternating episodes of diarrhea that have no apparent explanation. They simply start having watery stools and then it may stop without them taking medication. Older adults who have watery stool 6 or more times for two or more days and other colon cancer symptoms should contact their doctor.

6. Constipation
Colon cancer sufferers sometimes only have 3 or less bowel movements weekly. Chronic constipation in people with colon cancer may be caused by a tumor that’s growing in the intestines. If it’s coupled with rectal bleeding and changes in the stool, contact your doctor for a colon examination promptly.

7. Feeling like the bowel doesn’t empty completely
People with colon cancer often have a feeling that the bowel does not empty completely after having a bowel movement. That sensation is called tenesmus. It’s mild rectal pain that tells the brain the rectum still has fecal matter inside of it. Tenesmus can have people sitting on the commode unnecessarily for hours.

Using an at home colon cancer test, regular screenings, combined with early detection and treatment of colon cancer can increase the odds of survival for patients stricken with this disease.