Colon cancer develops when tumorous growths develop in the large intestine. It is now the third most common type of cancer in the United States. The colon, or ...EverythingyouneedtoknowaboutcoloncancerMedicallyreviewedbyChristinaChun,MPH—WrittenbyPeterCrostaonAugust28,2019SymptomsStagesTreatmentoptionsDiagnosisPreventionCausesOutlookColoncancerdevelopswhentumorousgrowthsdevelopinthelargeintestine.ItisnowthethirdmostcommontypeofcancerintheUnitedStates.Thecolon,orlargeintestine,iswherethebodydrawsoutwaterandsaltfromsolidwastes.Thewastethenmovesthroughtherectumandexitsthebodythroughtheanus.Coloncancerisalsothethirdmostcommoncauseofcancer-relateddeathintheU.S.Infact,in2019,theAmericanCancerSociety(ACS)predictthat101,420peopleintheU.S.willreceiveanewdiagnosisofcoloncancer.Healthcareprofessionalsrecommendattendingregularscreeningsforcoloncancerfromtheageof50years.Colorectalcancer,whichdescribesco-occurringcoloncancerandrectalcancer,isalsocommon.Rectalcanceroriginatesintherectum,whichisthefinalseveralinchesofthelargeintestine,closesttotheanus.Inthisarticle,welookathowtorecognizeandtreatcoloncancer,whyitdevelops,andhowtopreventit.SymptomsShareonPinterestColoncancerisoneofthemostcommonformsofcancerintheU.S.Coloncanceroftencausesnosymptomsintheearlieststages.However,symptomsmaybecomemorenoticeableasitprogresses.Thesesignsandsymptomsmayinclude:diarrheaorconstipationchangesinstoolconsistencyloose,narrowstoolsbloodinthestool,whichmayormaynotbevisibleabdominalpain,cramping,bloating,orgascontinualurgestodefecatedespitepassingstoolsweaknessandfatigueunexplainedweightlossirritablebowelsyndromeirondeficiencyanemiaIfthecancerspreadstoanewlocationinthebody,suchastheliver,itcancauseadditionalsymptomsinthenewarea.StagesTherearedifferentwaysofassigningastagetocancer.Thestagesindicatehowfaracancerhasspreadandthesizeofanytumors.Incoloncancer,thestagesdevelopasfollows:Stage0:Alsoknownascarcinomainsitu,atthispoint,thecancerisinaveryearlystage.Ithasnotgrownfartherthantheinnerlayerofthecolonand