I was hospitalized and underwent a sigmoid resection during which the surgeon removed a twelve-inch segment of my left colon and both my ovaries, because he was concerned that the cancer might spread to the ovaries. A week later, the pathology report showed that the tumor had grown to but not through the colon wall, and two out of fourteen lymph nodes were involved. There didn't appear to be any distant metastases. I had Stage III colorectal cancer. The tumor had obviously been there for some time.
Colon cancer is slow growing.
The rectal bleeding I experienced should have sent me to the doctor years earlier, when the polyp might have easily been removed during a diagnostic colonoscopy. From the moment of diagnosis I started to be active about my condition. The first night after the diagnosis friends got on the web to learn about the colon and colorectal cancer in particular. The Colon Cancer Discussion List on ACOR became a lifeline of information and support, but I didn't find it soon enough to learn about important baseline tests that should have been done before surgery. This means I can't be quite so sure I'm cancer-free now as if I had had the appropriate tests at the right time.