Pencil Thin Early Stage Colon Cancer Stool Pictures
A number of factors can determine bowel movement caliber shape texture color etc says whitney jones md clinical professor of medicine university of louisville and founder colon cancer prevention project.
Pencil thin early stage colon cancer stool pictures. In an otherwise healthy person thin stools may be caused by a narrowing of the colon also called a partial blockage of the colon due to colon cancer. Cancer is another possible causes of pencil thin stools due to narrowing. Colon cancer affects both men and women and all racial and ethnic groups. How to recognize colon cancer symptoms.
Doctors used to link narrow bms to colorectal or colon cancer. This includes colorectal cancer and anal cancer. Colorectal cancer also called colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the u s. Patients are often concerned about the frequency shape and texture of their bowel movements explains dr.
The early stages of colon cancer usually don t have any signs or symptoms. If your thin or narrow stools have you fearing colon cancer there are other causes of narrow thin stools besides cancer of the colon. Thin or narrow stools often described as ribbon or pencil like may also be a sign of colon cancer. If you have any of these symptoms seek immediate medical help.
Thin poo may be a warning sign of. More than 90 of cases. Cancer screening tests for colon cancer thus are important in individuals 50 and older. Let s take a closer look at how pencil shaped stools from irritable bowel syndrome might appear different from flattened narrow bowel movements caused by colon cancer.
Bowel cancer symptoms may not make patients feel ill as the signs can be very subtle. One of the first ways to screen for the disease is to check your stools. As the size of the polyp or cancer increases it can decrease the internal diameter of the colon or rectum so that only thin stool can pass through. Symptoms of colon cancer may not be present or be minimal and overlooked until it becomes more severe.
Changes in appetite weight loss anorectal bleeding and pain are some of the symptoms that may be present but often there are no symptoms in the early stages. Colon cancer is a type of cancer that originates in the cells lining the large intestine. Change in stool shape. Persistent pencil thin stool which may be solid or loose is one of the symptoms of colorectal polyps or cancer.
Brian lacy md of dartmouth hitchcock med center. There are four stages of colon cancer.