Colon and bowel cancer both cause disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract. The bowel is comprised of the small and large intestines, or colon. Though cancer may affect both the large and small intestines, cancer of the colon is much more common. The National Cancer Institute reports that there were over 100,000 new cases of colon cancer in 2009, versus approximately 6,000 new cases of small intestine cancer. Because both cancers affect the gastrointestinal tract, there are some common symptoms.
Pain
One common symptom of both cancer of the bowel and colon is abdominal pain. The intestines are long tubes that are curled up in the abdomen. The growth of cancerous cells may destroy intestinal tissue and/or exert pressure on the intestines which my cause abdominal pain. MedlinePlus, an online medical encyclopedia service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, reports that cancer of the small intestine may cause also cause a detectable lump in the abdomen, in addition to pain. Cancer of the colon may result in gas pain and/or cramps, also causing abdominal pain.
Losing Weight
Unintended weight loss is another common symptom of both small and large intestinal cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. The cancerous cells can interfere with proper digestion by either damaging the intestinal tissue or by blocking proper access of the digesting food to the intestinal tissue. This results in inefficient absorption and storage of nutrients and unintentional weight loss.
Blood in the Stool
One symptom of colon and small intestinal cancer is blood in the stool caused by gastrointestinal bleeding. The blood is combined with the digested food in the GI tract, and ultimately is excreted along with the stool. The National Cancer Institute reports that blood in the stool may appear bright red or be very dark.
Other Symptoms
According to the National Cancer Institute, additional symptoms of colon cancer include: nausea and/or vomiting; diarrhea or constipation; the feeling that the bowel is not emptied; narrowing of the stool; weakness or fatigue. The symptoms that pertain to digestion as a whole may apply to small intestine cancer as well, such as weakness and fatigue.
