Understand importance of knowing symptoms of stage 1 colon cancer

You can jump on :

1. Symptoms
2. 1st Stage Colon Cancer Curable?
3. How long can Colon Cancer go unnoticed?
4. Treatment of stage 1 colon cancer

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Dr. Praveen Kammar is a well known colon cancer surgeon in Mumbai with expertise in GI cancers. Dr Praveen has done more than 5000 surgeries in his field of expertise.

The following is a list of some of the early warning signs and symptoms associated with colon cancer :

• The presence of blood in faeces, which may be black in hue or red in colour.

• Alterations in bowel habits, which might include either constipation or diarrhoea

• Loss of weight that isn’t planned or can’t be explained.

• A persistent requirement for a bowel movement is accompanied by the sensation that the intestine is not entirely empty.

• Pale skin

If you have even the slightest doubt,
Is it not better to, just consult?

Learn, How to Know If You Have Colon Cancer

Is 1st stage colon cancer curable?

The 5-year survival rate for stage 1 colon cancer is more than 90%. 

The success of treatment depends on several factors. i.e.

The aggressiveness of the tumour, patients’ overall health and treatment compliance. Based on these factors the results may vary.  

Also,

Find out The Difference Between Colon Cancer And Rectal Cancer?

How long can colon cancer go unnoticed?

Most colonic cancers start off as polyps which finally turn malignant.

It is estimated that it takes around 10-15 years for certain polyps to turn cancerous and most of the time these polyps are asymptomatic.

Because of this long window period available, there is ample opportunity to identify and treat these polyps before they turn malignant.

Majority of the early-stage colon cancers are without symptoms. By the time symptoms develop cancer may be at a more advanced stage.

For this simple reason, many countries have started screening programs to detect these cancers early. 

If you have lower bowel complaints that are not subsiding within two week time you should seek medical attention as these could be warning signs of colorectal cancer. 

Treatment of stage 1 colon cancer

stage 1 colon cancer is confined to the colonic wall without any spread to the surrounding nodes and organs. 

The colonic wall involvement is of two categories in stage 1,

• T1 : When the tumour has spread to the submucosa

• T2 : When the tumour has spread to the muscle layer of the colonic wall. 

Some T1 tumours are candidates for endoscopic treatment. Several tumour-related factors are evaluated before endoscopic treatment.

Only if the tumour characteristics of a T1 cancer are favourable, endoscopic treatment is suggested.

The majority of stage 1 tumours need surgical removal for successful treatment.

In surgery, the affected part of the colon is removed with adequate normal colon proximally and distally along with the lymph nodes that drain the affected area. This procedure is called colectomy. 

Depending on the portion affected, the surgery could be a 

1. Right colectomy
2. Left colectomy
3. Transverse colectomy
4. extended right colectomy 

These surgeries can be performed by traditional Open surgery or Laparoscopic /Robotic surgery by an expert.

Survivorship of stage 1 colon cancer

A five-year survival rate of 64% is expected for those diagnosed with colon cancer. This is the survival rate taken as a whole.

People who get a diagnosis of their ailment while it is still in its early stages have a survival percentage estimated to be 91% higher than average.

Conclusion

Keep up with the screening schedule your doctor has given you for cancer, and if you see any troubling signs or symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor as soon as you can.

This will increase the probability of any possible tumours being recognized at an earlier stage in their development.

In addition, the earlier a patient’s cancer is diagnosed, and treatment started, the better their chances of a favourable prognosis after the disease has been diagnosed.