Football Legend Pele Passes Away Battling Cancer at 82: Colon Cancer Symptoms to Know

Colon cancer resulted in the death of Brazilian football legend Pele on Thursday at the age of 82. The hospital also confirmed Pele’s death arising due to failure of multiple organs that are associated with the same cancer.

The Brazilian President declared mourning for three days in the country. He has been lauded by the media and audience as one of the greatest players that the football community has ever seen.

Here in this article, we will discuss the signs and symptoms of colon cancer that you should look out for along with the stages and treatment of the same.

This type of cancer can be treated when diagnosed in early stages. (Image via Pexels/Anna Tarazevich)

---

Signs of Colon Cancer in Women

This cancer can be understood as a cancer that starts in your large intestine or is often referred to as colon, which is the last part of the digestive tract. It generally affects older adults and starts as a benign clump of non-cancerous cells that start forming within your colon. Over time, they can also result in colon cancer.

There are certain signs and symptoms of this type of cancer that women should be on the lookout for:

• Increasing weight loss
• Constant changes in your bowel habits and consistency of stools, including constipation and diarrhea
• Abdominal discomfort such as pain, gas, and cramps being consistent.
• Rectal bleeding
• Feeling of fatigue and weakness
• Blood in your stools

The symptoms of this cancer tend to be highly variable based on its location in your large intestine and the size of the cancer. People in the early stages might not experience any symptoms. However, if you notice the persistency of these symptoms, you should definitely visit professional medical care.

---

Signs of Colon Cancer in Men

Pele’s death has been caused by colon cancer that reappeared during the year 2022. He was admitted to the hospital but Pele’s condition failed to improve. Eventually, his family confirmed Pele’s death on 29 December.

Here are some signs that men should look out for:

• Blood in stools
• Changing bowel habits
• Increasing weight loss
• Bloating and cramps
• Feeling that your bowels are not completely empty
• Shortness of breath

The signs and symptoms for both men and women tend to be similar.

---

Colon Cancer Stage

The stages for this cancer generally range from 0 to 4 with stage 0 being a very early cancer and stage 4 being a higher stage of cancer where it has spread through a larger area.

---

Colon Cancer Treatment

This cancer tends to be treatable, especially if it is diagnosed in the early stages. Surgery tends to be the most common treatment procedure that removes the nearby lymph nodes and cancerous growth. If they are treated in the early stages, they do not even require any further treatment in some of the cases.

Chemotherapy is recommended by medical professionals for people who have a higher probability of recurring tumors.

Pele even underwent surgery for colon cancer in September 2021, however due to complications associated with the same disease, he was readmitted to the hospital in 2022.

Surgery (Image via Pexels/Vidal Balielo Jr.)

---

Bottom Line

Pele’s death has certainly been a huge loss for the football community who showed nothing but great sportsmanship. This type of cancer can be treated when diagnosed in the early stages along with taking a few preventive measures.

You can also take preventive measures for colon cancer that include avoiding consuming alcohol regularly, being more physically active and effective in weight management, and avoiding a diet that is rich in processed and red meat.