Colon cancer leads to the third-highest number of deaths in the country. This cancer originates in the cells lining a part of the large intestine called the colon, and the risk for colon cancer increases due to age, being of a particular race, genetics, dietary choices, and underlying medical conditions like Crohn’s or celiac disease. In this article, we’ll look at some of the common signs and the stages of colon cancer.

Early warning signs of colon cancer
Unlike some forms of the disease like breast or skin cancer, colon cancer does not usually show any symptoms during the early stages, making it difficult to diagnose. So, understanding the signs and stages of colon cancer is necessary to facilitate early diagnoses. In the later stages, the symptoms depend on the size of the tumors and their location in the intestinal tract. The signs include:

• Unexplained fatigue and weakness
• Unexplained weight loss
• Abdominal pain, cramps, or bloating
• Changes in bowel habits
• A feeling of fullness in the bowels
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Pencil-thin stools
• Rectal bleeding or blood in stools (this can appear as dark-colored stools)

The stages of colon cancer
It is essential to know the signs and stages of colon cancer to ensure timely treatment. The different stages determine the course of treatment, and colon cancer can be divided into the following stages:

• Stage 0:  It is the earliest form of colon cancer, where it has not grown beyond the innermost membrane of the colon called the mucosa. At this stage, surgery is needed to remove the cancerous growths, and no further treatment might be required.
• Stage 1 : Cancer has spread from the innermost mucosa layer to the next submucosal layer, but no lymph nodes are affected. Surgery can treat colon cancer at this stage, and the type of surgery varies according to the size of the cancerous growth and its location in the colon.
• Stage 2:  When colon cancer spreads beyond the mucosa and submucosa, it is said to be in stage 2. This stage is further divided into stage 2A, where cancer has reached the outermost layer of the colon but not any lymph nodes or nearby tissues. In the 2B stage, colon cancer has spread to the visceral peritoneum or the membrane holding the abdominal organs.
  2C stage is characterized by colon cancer not having affected the nearby lymph nodes. However, it has grown beyond the outermost layer of the colon to the nearby organs. Surgery is the advised treatment at this stage, but chemotherapy might be recommended in high-risk cases.
• Stage 3 : In stage 3A, the colon cancer has spread to the nearby lymph nodes, but the distant nodes and organs remain unaffected. In stage 3B, the tumor has spread to the visceral peritoneum or nearby organs and one or more lymph nodes. If cancer has spread to four or more lymph nodes, it is considered to be in stage 3C. 
• Stage 4:  In the 4A stage, cancer has spread to a single distant organ, while 4B is the most advanced stage, wherein cancer has spread to two or more distant organs like the lungs, liver, kidneys, and brain.