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Cancer Community
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Do I have colon cancer?
by dothackzero, Nov 27, 2008 03:51PM
Over the past two months, I've had a range of different bowel movements. Some have been fat and roundish; others have been thin and flat. Would I be seeing that range if you had colon cancer.
Abdominal distension: Nope
Abdominal pain: Nope
Unexplained, persistent nausea or vomiting: Nope
Unexplained weight loss: Nope
Change in frequency or character of stool (bowel movements): nope
Small-caliber (narrow) or ribbon-like stools: I dont' think so?
Sensation of incomplete evacuation after a bowel movement: Nope
Rectal pain: Nope
Age. About 90 percent of people diagnosed with colon cancer are older than 50: I'm 20.
A personal history of colorectal cancer or polyps: Not that I know of.
Inflammatory intestinal conditions: Nope
Inherited disorders that affect the colon: I might have hemmorides, thouh it usually doesn't cause a problem for me. Basiclly it's not active most of the time.
Family history of colon cancer and colon polyps: Only my grandma, nobody else even polyps. My parents who are over 50 both got colonoscapes, neither one of them had any polyps.
Diet. Colon cancer and rectal cancer may be associated with a diet low in fiber and high in fat and calories: Probably
A sedentary lifestyle: Yeah, but do try to get at least a little bit of exercise each day.
Diabetes: Nope
Obesity: I'm only 135 pounds
Smoking. I don't smoke
Alcohol: I don't drink
Growth hormone disorder: I don't think so.
Radiation therapy for cancer: I've never had cancer or anyone in my family except for my granda who was a smoker.
Is this true?
It seems that, for me, the biggest predictor of shape is the consistency of the poop. Really soft poops (which seem to be the norm for me) HAVE to be flatter. It comes down to simple physics -- the anal sphincter is not round, it's an oval. If you pass something soft and squishy through an oval, it will take the shape of the hole through which it is passing. Thus, soft poops will be oval/flattened. Now, I've also had a flatter harder poo as well -- but they've been smaller and I've sort of put them in the same category as the little pebble-like poo we all sometimes pass.
Abdominal distension: Nope
Abdominal pain: Nope
Unexplained, persistent nausea or vomiting: Nope
Unexplained weight loss: Nope
Change in frequency or character of stool (bowel movements): nope
Small-caliber (narrow) or ribbon-like stools: I dont' think so?
Sensation of incomplete evacuation after a bowel movement: Nope
Rectal pain: Nope
Age. About 90 percent of people diagnosed with colon cancer are older than 50: I'm 20.
A personal history of colorectal cancer or polyps: Not that I know of.
Inflammatory intestinal conditions: Nope
Inherited disorders that affect the colon: I might have hemmorides, thouh it usually doesn't cause a problem for me. Basiclly it's not active most of the time.
Family history of colon cancer and colon polyps: Only my grandma, nobody else even polyps. My parents who are over 50 both got colonoscapes, neither one of them had any polyps.
Diet. Colon cancer and rectal cancer may be associated with a diet low in fiber and high in fat and calories: Probably
A sedentary lifestyle: Yeah, but do try to get at least a little bit of exercise each day.
Diabetes: Nope
Obesity: I'm only 135 pounds
Smoking. I don't smoke
Alcohol: I don't drink
Growth hormone disorder: I don't think so.
Radiation therapy for cancer: I've never had cancer or anyone in my family except for my granda who was a smoker.
Is this true?
It seems that, for me, the biggest predictor of shape is the consistency of the poop. Really soft poops (which seem to be the norm for me) HAVE to be flatter. It comes down to simple physics -- the anal sphincter is not round, it's an oval. If you pass something soft and squishy through an oval, it will take the shape of the hole through which it is passing. Thus, soft poops will be oval/flattened. Now, I've also had a flatter harder poo as well -- but they've been smaller and I've sort of put them in the same category as the little pebble-like poo we all sometimes pass.
As colon cancer progresses from Stage 0 to Stage IV, the cancer cells grow through the layers of the colon wall and spread to lymph nodes and other organs.
Stage 0 (Carcinoma in Situ)
In stage 0, abnormal cells are found in the innermost lining of the colon. These abnormal cells may become cancer and spread into nearby normal tissue. Stage 0 is also called carcinoma in situ.
Stage I
In stage I, cancer has formed and spread beyond the innermost tissue layer of the colon wall to the middle layers. Stage I colon cancer is sometimes called Dukes A colon cancer.
Stage II
Stage II colon cancer is divided into stage IIA and stage IIB.
Stage IIA: Cancer has spread beyond the middle tissue layers of the colon wall or has spread to nearby tissues around the colon or rectum.
Stage IIB: Cancer has spread beyond the colon wall into nearby organs and/or through the peritoneum.
Stage II colon cancer is sometimes called Dukes B colon cancer.
Stage III
Stage III colon cancer is divided into stage IIIA, stage IIIB, and stage IIIC.
Stage IIIA: Cancer has spread from the innermost tissue layer of the colon wall to the middle layers and has spread to as many as 3 lymph nodes.
Stage IIIB: Cancer has spread to as many as 3 nearby lymph nodes and has spread:
beyond the middle tissue layers of the colon wall; or to nearby tissues around the colon or rectum; or
beyond the colon wall into nearby organs and/or through the peritoneum.
Stage IIIC: Cancer has spread to 4 or more nearby lymph nodes and has spread:
to or beyond the middle tissue layers of the colon wall; or to nearby tissues around the colon