When there is a cancerous growth occurring in the lower portion of the digestive tract, it is called colorectal cancer. As the origin is in the large intestine, it is often referred to as colon cancer. Like most other cancer types, this one might start as a harmless polyp growth and then progressively spread to the nearby organs. Here are some early warning signs of colon cancer to look out for. 

1. Gas and bloating
Mild indigestion might trigger gas. But if you consistently feel bloated one day and gassy the other day, it could also be due to the growth of a tumor in the colon area. The tumor sometimes blocks the passage and causes bloating.

2. Anemia
Sometimes the tumor that grows in the colon gets ruptured or even bleeds internally. When this complication occurs, a person could experience minor blood loss, while some other may experience anemia as a result.

3. Irregular bowel habits
One of the distinguishable and highly ignored symptoms of colon cancer is a change in bowel habits. One might notice many irregularities including occasional diarrhea and constipation.

4. Change in stool size
If you notice abnormal changes in stool size including very thin or very large stools, it could be a warning sign of colorectal cancer. Some might also find it difficult to pass stools when the size increases significantly and this, in turn, worsens the bleeding in the rectal area.

5. Blood in stools
One of the alarming symptoms that actually forces people to evaluate whether they have colorectal cancer would be seeing blood in the stool. It might not necessarily be red in color. Sometimes the blood from internal bleeding appears as dark brown streaks in the stools. This could also be due to hemorrhoids. But if a person thinks that they are in the high-risk group of colorectal cancer, they should seek medical attention immediately after they observe blood in the stools.

6. Urge to empty the bowel
The growing tumor can cause a lot of discomfort in some. This leads to the false urge to pass stools. This can sometimes be mistaken as constipation. But if this occurs along with other colorectal cancer symptoms, you should know that this is due to the tumor growing in size.

7. Pain in the abdomen
As the tumor puts pressure on the colon area and the surrounding organs, some patients also notice pain and discomfort. This occurs as sudden sharp pain and sometimes as cramps.

Colon cancer is not a very common type of cancer. It can be effectively managed when found in the early stages of development. Surgical removal of the affected cells and the use of radiation therapy to control the spread are all possible today depending on the cancer stage.