Blood in the stool, weight loss, changes in bowel habits, a feeling that the bowel does not quite empty, a new shape to stools, abdominal pain or discomfort, anemia, or fatigue. With regular screening and lifestyle changes, more than half of colon cancer deaths can be prevented. If there's a family history of bowel disease or polyps, screening should start earlier and be more frequent. Regular exercise can cut your risk of colorectal cancer in half. And eating a high-fiber diet, avoiding animal fats, and taking multivitamins containing folic acid can also help reduce your risk.
Surgery removes the cancerous area.
Radiation and chemotherapy may follow. Stroke kills more women than do cancers, says Dr. Thomas Brott, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, in Florida. One common signal is weakness or numbness in the arm and hand. Arm and hand problems are especially serious when the face or leg also is affected. If it's arm and leg together, call 911.