Is it colon cancer?

My mother has been having severe abdominal pains and bloating in her stomach. Her menstrual cycle has also been very irregular. She would bleed very heavily for a long period of time, then bleed very light. A history of colon cancer runs in our family. Could this be it?

[JDS2805]

With a family history of colon cancer, I think it would be wise for her to see a GI specialist. How old is your mother and how old were the family members when they were diagnosed with colon cancer? For example, if one of the was diagnosed at 45, other family members would need to start getting screened at age 35. If your mom is over 50 she should be screened anyways. These symptoms can indicate many things other that colon cancer but with the family history it's better to be safe that sorry- colon cancer is a very managable and treatable disease if it's caught early. Please keep us updated. Best wishes!