What is Colorectal Cancer?

Colorectal cancer is found in your colon (large intestine) or rectum where the cells grow out of control. This affects your bowel system as the large intestine is where your stool is made. Sometimes, your doctor will call colorectal cancer, colon cancer.

What are some of the signs?

  • A change in bowel habits.
  • Abnormal growths in the colon or rectum – called polyp.
  • Unexplained weight loss.

  • Sometimes, no symptoms.
  • Abdominal pain, aches, or cramps that don’t go away.
  • Blood in your stool.

If you feel you have signs or concerns, talk to your doctor about your options.

Getting Tested for Colon Cancer

You and your doctor can plan preventive tests such as a stool test, or a colonoscopy to find early signs of growth before they turn to cancer or can find the cancer itself.

The two most common test done:

Colonoscopy: A thin tube will pass through your intestines (gut) with a light to check for abnormal growths called polyps or cancer cells. During this test your doctor will have you sedated (relaxed and asleep) as they remove any. You should not feel any discomfort during a colonoscopy. This test can be done every 5-10 years.

Stool Test: For this test, you will be sent a kit in the mail to collect a sample of your stool at home. This kit has a liquid chemical that will detect blood in your sample. After using the kit, you will send it back in the original box. It will then go to a lab to be checked for signs of blood. Your doctor may send this test to you once a year.

Learn about who should get screened and what it’s like to get screened for colorectal cancer

Living with Colorectal Cancer

Support Groups
Being diagnosed with colon cancer is not easy. That does not mean the journey to healing has to be alone. See these free online programs that allow you to have the right support from the comfort of your home. If you are needing translation support to take part in meetings, please call 1-888-936-7526, TTY 711 and request our interpretive help at no cost to our members.

Colorectal Cancer Patient Support Group by Cancer Care
Free virtual support group for those with colon  cancer. Register here: cancercare.org

Buddy Program
The buddy program is a peer support program for patients and caregivers to have a “buddy” to offer you advice. This program is for those that have been impacted by colon cancer. It will give you a place to speak with a personal mentor about your journey. Call
1-877-422-2030 or see details online here.

Coping Center Workshops by Cancer Care – Free virtual education and supportive workshops that cover various topics. Offered in English and Spanish. See website to register and get more information: cancercare.org

Patient and Family Support Navigator Group
Trained navigators are here to support you and your family about any questions, concerns, and resources you may need about you or a family member’s recent colon cancer diagnosis. Offered in English and Spanish. Call 1-877-422-2030 or see more online here.

Want to find more support? Contact the American Cancer Society

Stories from Survivors

Hear from Gloria

“Don’t wait for symptoms to develop because it could be too late.” – Gloria

As a former health educator who taught the importance of early cancer screenings, Gloria Riley knew better than to put off her colorectal cancer screening. But hesitancy and the repeated urging by her primary care physician, were initially not enough to overcome her fear of sedation, the risk of something going wrong, or the discomfort of drinking the prescribed laxative preparation solution. “It was okay for me to tell everyone else to do it, but when it came to myself, I was totally hesitant,” Riley, 56, says. “I had a big fear, and I was just frozen for a long time. I wouldn’t do it.”

After 4 years of encouragement, Riley completed the colonoscopy. In that moment, Riley felt proud of herself. She was eager to let Dr. Mafi know she finally followed through with the procedure and to thank him for encouraging her to have it, providing medical data on the importance and for being so patient with her – answering all her questions leading up to it.” After the procedure, Riley followed up with her doctor and found that they had removed a large cancerous polyp. Riley’s doctor, Dr. Mafi says. “I was happy to learn she had been screened and had the polyp successfully removed. Had she not, the conversation could have instead been about her cancer spreading.” Riley says if she could go back in time, she would have had the screening, “a lot sooner.”

Gloria has advice for other patients: Don’t wait for symptoms to develop because it could be too late. “It doesn’t matter if you eat healthy or not. It doesn’t matter if no one in your family has ever had it. It doesn’t matter what type of lifestyle you’re living. It’s still important to get screened because you could be the first in your family.” Gloria is now a Senior Staff member at the Los Angeles Department of Health Services.

Hear from Robert

“If I hadn’t been screened, I wouldn’t have been able to see my son go off to college” – Robert

I’m a father of two, husband, and salesman who travels around the country for work. I’ve had a full life. I watched my daughter graduate from college and graduate school, and my son graduate from high school. Now that both of our kids have left the house, my wife and I are beginning the next chapter of our life together.

In 2016, I noticed I seemed to be getting more tired, from traveling I thought. I decided to see my doctor for a checkup. I spoke with him about having a colonoscopy, even though I didn’t have any symptoms, aside from feeling tired. I wanted to get screened because it had been 7 years since my last colonoscopy. Also, my father had colon cancer when he was only 45 years old that he survived. Today, my father is 75 years old and in relatively good health.

I went in for my colonoscopy on January 10, 2017. Although no polyps were present during this screening (or during any screening I had prior), the doctor took tissue samples for a biopsy. A week later, the results came back and showed that I did in fact have colon cancer. On February 2, 2017, I underwent surgery to get rid of the cancer.

Fortunately, because the cancer was found early enough, the surgery was successful. But I never would have found it early if I hadn’t been screened.

Lead Poisoning Assistance

Advice Nurse Line

Sometimes you need to talk to a nurse when you cannot talk to your doctor. The Advice Nurse helps you with any health problem you or someone in your family has. Click here for more information.
HealthReach 24/7 nurse and doctor advice line, call toll free:

Posted on April 6th, 2021 and last modified on February 7th, 2025.

top
X