Question

Colon cancer is something that may be difficult to detect without the use of tests such as a colonoscopy unless the cancer is advanced and homeostasis has clearly been altered. What is an explanation for why it may be difficult to detect without screening?

Answer 1

Diagnosing colon cancer without a prior colonoscopy is difficult because- There are often no specific symptoms; lower abdominal symptoms are very common and mostly related to non-neoplastic diseases.

Symptoms of colorectal cancer can include rectal bleeding, dark or black stools, change in shape of stool, chronic abdominal pain that is not relieved after few days, new onset constipation or diarrhea that lasts more than a few days, unintentional weight loss and fatigue due to anemia. Of course, these symptoms can occur in patients who do not have colorectal cancer, so the above symptoms are very corelatable with other common abdominal conditions and until there are severe symptoms are seen in the patient the doctor usually don’t go for colonoscopy and hence factors like time and progression of cluster of symptoms along with the physicians experience in the field is very crucial for the early diagnosing of colon cancer. (Just beacuse a patient walked in with any of the common abdominal symptoms, physician will not directly go for colonoscopy, so that's why until the cancer is advanced and until severe symptoms are seen the patient is not diagnosed with colon cancer).

Also, studies suggest that the cancers that develop in women tend to be flatter, and thus more difficult to diagnose, even to an experienced physician.

GOOD LUCK!