Colon Cancer
Colon cancer is a malignant tumor occur in the colon also called large intestine and rectum (end of the colon).This is a slow growing cancer that is often survivable if diagnosed early.
There is no single cause of colon cancer. Most colorectal cancers develop from polyps, which slowly develop into cancer.
Risk factors for colon cancer:
· Age older than 60.
· A high fat, low –fiber diet.
· Eating a lot of red processed meat.
· Having colorectal polyps.
· Family history of colon cancer.
· Having inflammatory bowel disease.(Crohn disease of ulcerative colitis)
· Smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol.
Symptoms:
Many symptoms have been developed for colon cancer. Some are here…
· Abdominal pain and tenderness in the lower abdomen.
· Blood in the stool.
· Diarrhea, constipation or other change in bowel habits.
· Narrow stools.
· Weight loss with no known reason.
· Fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath.
Exams and tests:
· Through screening test colon cancer can be detected before symptoms develop. This is when the cancer is most curable.
· Physical exam on the belly area. The physical exam rarely shows any problems, although the doctor may feel a lump (mass) in the abdomen. A rectal exam may reveal in patients with rectal cancer, but not colon cancer.
· A fecal occult blood test (FOBT) may detect small amounts of blood in the stool.This may suggest colon cancer.
· A sigmoidoscopy, or more likely a colonoscopy will be done to evaluate the cause of blood in the stool. Only colonoscopy can see the entire colon. This is the best screening test for a colon cancer.
· If diagnosed with colorectal cancer, more test will be done to see if the cancer has spread. This is called staging. CT scans or MRI scans of the abdomen, pelvic area, chest or brain may be used to stage the cancer. Sometimes PET (positron emission tomography) scans are also used.
Treatment :
Treatment depends on many things, including stage of the cancer.
Treatment may include:
- Surgery(most often a colectomy) to remove cancer cells
- Chemotherapy to kill cancer cells
- Radiation therapy to destroy cancerous tissue
Prevention :
- Colon cancer can almost be caught by colonoscopy in its earliest and most curable stages. Almost all men and women age 50 and older should have a colon cancer screening. Patients at higher risk may need earlier screening.
- Colon cancer screening can often find polyps before they become cancerous. Removing these polyps may prevent colon cancer.
- Changing your diet and lifestyle is important. Medical research suggests that low-fat and high-fiber diets may reduce your risk of colon cancer.
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