Recurring Abdominal Pain

It is reassuring that you do not have visible blood in your stool. However, due to your age and weight loss, a cancer in the intestinal tract still must be considered.

Lower abdominal pain and weight loss can be a sign of colon cancer. Because you are old enough to be at increased risk for colon cancer, you must be evaluated for this problem before most other diagnoses are considered. Please call your doctor today to arrange an urgent evaluation.

Your evaluation will likely include a colonoscopy, a test that can view the inside of your colon.

If your colonoscopy does not show a reason for the pain and weight loss, other possibilities include

• abdominal angina and bowel infarction (a form of atherosclerosis)

• celiac disease (celiac sprue) or other causes of malabsorption

• chronic pancreatitis

• diverticulosis

• kidney cancer

• liver cancer

• ovarian cancer

• pancreatic cancer

• stomach cancer .