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Colon Cancer/mother is 81 and has lost 19 lbs

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Expert: - 9/20/2004


Question
My mother is 81 and has lost 19 lbs in the last year or so.  She has always been in good health, but recently she has been having constipation, some stomach pain and when she has a bowel movement, she really has to strain and sometimes, it is just gas.  She feels like she has pressure there even after she is finished.  She has been taking laxatives to help her go, but still has this. She is going to go to the doctor and I am wondering what
kind of tests he may run on her.  She has a pretty good size spot of enphazema (sp?) on her lung, too. It might be something like this and not her colon at all.  but the enphazema has never bothered her.  She says she feels good.   Do you have any idea what could be causing her wieght loss?  What about her bowels acting the way they are? Thank you.

Answer
It is most probably best to check her colon (large bowel). That is best done by a colonoscopy (inspecting the whole of her large bowel from the inside with a special instrument introduced into her bowel via her anus). I do not think that investigation should cause her any medical problems. There are some other things that can/should be done, but this is the most important one!

Colon Cancer

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Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D.

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I`m a doctor of medicine and a specialist in radiation therapy and medical oncology. I have long experience with regards to this cancer.

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I'm a Doctor of Medicine and specialist in Medical Oncology and Radiation Therapy educated & trained in Sweden. Now retired. Background in Radiation Therapy, Medical Oncology, Radiation Protection, Nuclear Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, Gynecological Oncology, Clinical Pathology, Clinical Cytology,Hematology and Internal Medicine. M.D. from the faculty of medicine, Royal Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Have also been an exchange student at the Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem Israel. Former medical consultant, Swedish National Board of Radiation Protection. Former Police Surgeon and Medical Examiner, Stockholm Police Department. Former Chief Medical Officer, The Royal Guards, The Royal Horse Guards and the Royal Household Brigade, Royal Swedish Army Medical Corps. You can also reach me on: http://www.lifestylerescue.com/expert/health-fitness-advice/dr-claes-gustaf/128 I have no restrictions on the number of questions there.

I also answer questions in these categories: Oncology (General Cancer), General History, Military History, Brain Tumors, Breast Cancer.

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I'm a medical doctor and a specialist in medical oncology & radiation therapy.

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