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6. Fatigue and Weakness
This isn’t the standard tiredness of a long work week. It is a profound, bone-deep exhaustion often caused by iron-deficiency anemia. As a tumor bleeds internally—often in amounts too small to be seen by the naked eye—the body loses red blood cells, leading to a shortage of oxygen in the tissues.
The Power of Prevention: Screening and Trends
The tragedy of the disease is that it is one of the most preventable forms of cancer. If a colonoscopy identifies a polyp, the physician can often remove it during the same procedure, effectively stopping the cancer before it ever starts. For those diagnosed at Stage 1, the five-year survival rate is approximately 91%. However, once the cancer reaches Stage 4 and spreads to distant organs like the liver or lungs, that rate drops significantly.
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