What is colon cancer?,colon cancer causes,colon cancer treatment,prevention and threats

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What is Colon ?
Colon Cancer Causes
Colon Cancer Treatment
Surgery
Prevention of Colon Cancer
Threats

What is Colon?

Colon in human beings is a 4 feet long tube shaped muscular organ. From the end of our small bowel the colon extends to our anus while turning and twisting in our abdomen. There are three functions that a colon performs:

• Digestion and absorption of nutrients from the food;
• By the absorption of fluid, the concentration of fecal material; and
• Storing as well as controlling the evacuation of fecal material from the body. It is interesting to know that the left side of our colon is responsible for the storage-cum-evacuation of stool where the right side absorbs water and electrolytes from the fecal material.

What is Colon Cancer?

The transformation of normal cells is cancer. The abnormal cells grow and multiply abnormally while leading to the buildup within the body. In case the abnormal growth of transformed cells in the colon is not treated then the cancer can eventually spread to the adjacent lymph nodes and organs. As a result cancer can reach out at other vital organs such as bones, brain, lungs and liver.

The unbridled growth of cancer is very hazardous as it can engulf healthy organs, tissues or even cells by snatching away their basic requirements of space, nutrients and oxygen.

An adenocarcinomas tumor are usually found in colon cancer and is formed by the glands lining that form the inner wall of the colon. Colorectal cancer is the term with which the tumor is often referred that shows that the end portion of the colon (the rectum) can be a pray to the cancer.

According to the statistics in United States 1 in every 17 people will develop colorectal cancer. The report of National Cancer Institute shows that the colorectal cancer is the third most frequently diagnosed type of cancer. In the women of Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander and Alaska Native/American Indian ancestry the colorectal cancer is the second most frequently discovered type of cancer; where it is third most frequent cancer that attacks the white and African American women.

Until 1985 it is found that the cases of colorectal cancer have increased where after that the incidence has started to decrease with an average rate of 1.6 per cent per year. After lungs and prostate cancer in men and lungs and breast cancer in women colorectal cancer is the third major cause of death in both men and women.

Colon Cancer Causes

Adenomatous polyps clusters of cancerous or abnormal cells in the glands of colon’s inner walls is discovered to be the reason of rise or colorectal cancer in most of cases. With the passage of time these abnormal buildups starts to grow in size and finally result in adenocarcinomas. Those people who are suffering from the intense conditions called adenomatous polyposis syndromes are at more risk of developing colorectal cancers as compared to other people.

Numerous adenomatous polyps develop in such conditions within the colon and eventually end up in colon cancer. Colon cancer usually struck after the age of 40. Adenomatous polyposis syndrome is found to be a family ailment. Cases of such syndrome are also called familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). For FAP, FDA has approved Celecoxib (Celebrex). Celecoxib decreases the mean number of colon and rectal polyps by 28 per cent as compared to placebo or the sugar pills (by 5 per cent only) in the course of 6 months.

Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) syndrome is another group of colon cancer syndrome that is found in certain families. Without the precursor polyp colon cancer develops in such syndromes. HNPCC is related to abnormalities in genes and test is available to diagnose one. Genetic screening is available to identify those people who are at the risk of developing one. Pre-cancerous and cancerous tumors are regularly screened in people who are found to be the carrier of abnormal gene along with the proper counseling. HNPCC syndrome is also associated with tumors in other organs of the body.

The risk of developing colon cancer is higher in people who have any of the following:

Crohn colitis or ulcerative colitis;
Suffered or suffering from ovarian, uterine and breast cancer; and
Family history of colon cancer.

Those people whose first degree relative (siblings or/and parents) is suffering from colon cancer has a 2 to 3 times more risk of developing the tumor. The risk is extensive in case more than one relative is found to be suffering from the cancer, where the colon cancer is diagnosed at an early stage.

There are also several other aspects that can add into the threat of developing colon cancer. For example:

Eating Habit: it is still under discussion whether diet plays any role in the development of colon cancer and in case it does than what is the extant of such role. Many have questioned the assumption that a low fat and high fiber diet helps in avoiding the colon cancer. Studies have revealed that diet rich with fruits and vegetables along with regular exercise prevent the occurring of colon cancer.
Smoking cigarette: smoking has been identified as an inevitable risk factor of not only colon and lungs cancer but almost all cancers.
Obesity: it is the measure of excessive fat in the body. Obesity increases the risk of developing colon cancer.
Drug abuse: excessive use of drugs can also lead to colon cancer however certain drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. aspirin) and estrogen replacement therapy can play effective role in reducing the risk factor of colorectal cancer.

Colon Cancer Symptoms

There are a number of ways in which the cancer of rectum and colon can exhibit itself. In case you find any of these symptoms do see your physician immediately.

People with colon and rectum cancer can have notice bleeding from rectum or stools stained with blood. Commonly, people associate all types of rectum bleeding to hemorrhoids and thus show lack of concern in properly evaluating the bleeding hemorrhoids. Rectal bleeding can be a sign of deficiency of iron and it could be chronic and hidden. Rectal bleeding may be associated with pale skin and fatigue. In most of the cases diagnoses is made on examining in laboratory fecal occult (hidden) blood text for which stools are submitted.
For those people in whom the tumor of rectum grows large in size can completely and partially block the rectum. In case of bowel obstruction following symptoms can be observed: in abdominal distension one’s belly sticks out without weight than it did before; abdominal pain is rare in colon cancer and a cause of it is perforation or tearing of the bowel where the leakage of bowel contents into the pelvis can cause infection and inflammation. Unexplained vomiting, persistent nausea, unexpected reduction in weight, change in the bowel movement (frequency or character of the stool), narrow or small caliber or ribbon like stools, after bowel movement a feeling of incompleteness and rectal pain that is a rare case of colon cancer and is a sign of bulky tumor in the rectum that is invading the tissues in circumstances.

It has been discovered by the research that the duration of symptoms, from the onset to the time of diagnosis, is 14 weeks. It is pertinent to remember that there is no relation between the stage of your tumor and the duration of symptoms.

Colon Cancer Treatment

The basic treatment of colon cancer is to remove part of or all of affected colon via surgery. During colonoscopy suggestive polyps if they are few in number may be removed. Those people whose colon cancer has spread to other adjacent lymph nodes can survive for longer time if they undergo chemotherapy after surgery. For those people who have colon cancer radiation treatment can not prove to be of any good however if one is suffering from rectum cancer than the radiation treatment could be helpful.
The use of radiation before surgery is helpful in reducing the size of the tumor and hence makes the removal easier. The prior use of radiation also ensures that the cancer will not return.

Surgery

The foundational treatment for colon cancer is surgery. At times complete and at others partial colon is removed and the removal completely depends on the affected area as well as the certain characteristics of the tumor. It is also discovered that in certain cases only polyp is cancerous and thus the removal of polyp is all that is required.

In case cancer is causing some kind of bowel obstruction than surgery is carried out to relieve the symptoms. Commonly bypass is used for an obstruction that is incurable. In cases colorectal tumor after the creation of permanent colostomy can be removed by the help of surgery.

Colostomy is a neatly build up but small opening in the patient’s belly. It is a part of the surgery that the colon left in the belly is attached to that opening. The fecal matter will go out of the body via this hole instead of taking the way of anus. The patient will be bound to wear a bag or a small appliance that would be attached to the skin of the opening’s surrounding and is helpful in collecting the fecal matter. In order to prevent the skin irritation and odor this bag is changed on regular basis.

If possible then your physician will always try to save your rectum as well as anus. There are some surgical ways by following which the doctors will try their level best to preserve the evacuation of the waste material through the anus if it is possible.
The need of colostomy varies from case to case and only in particular cases the individual is provided with one:

Colostomy is not necessary in case the tumor is either on the right side of the patient’s colon or in case on the left side but above the level of the rectum; and
Those tumors that situate in the rectum may ask of the removal of the rectum itself and anal sphincter; and to divert the bowel the construction of the patient a permanent colostomy.

Prevention of Colon Cancer

The best way to save one’s self from becoming a victim of colon cancer is to detect the colon caner in the early stages of its formation. It is easy to save those people who undergo regular screening for colon, colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy and the removal of the polyp are the steps that can potentially help in reducing the risks of colorectal cancer.
There are also other steps that one can take to lower the risk of developing colon cancer. For example:

Quit the habit of smoking as it is of no good. All that smoking can give you is exposure to a number of fatal diseases. It is discovered that the habit of smoking cigarettes is directly linked with the increase of having colon cancer.
One can also take a pill of aspirin or a baby aspirin on daily basis but do not forget that the dosage has its side effects and is not recommended to all and sundry. It is better to consult your physician before starting to take aspirin.
It is also suggested that one must take a little dose of folic acid, about 1 mili gram every day.
One must adopt a habit of exercising regularly.
It is also helpful if one intakes vegetables and fruits on daily basis.

The US Agency for Health Care Policy and Research suggests that people above the age of 50 years (who have an average risk of developing the cancer) and people who are above the age of 40 and have a family history of colon cancer must undergo screening of colon cancer. It is recommended by the Agency that the below mentioned techniques can be helpful in tackling the colon cancer in time.

An annual fecal occult blood testing, together with the sigmoidoscopy after every 5 years.
After every 5 to 10 years undergoing double contrast barium enema.
Taking colonoscopy after every 10 years as it is the most sensitive test for figuring out colon cancerous tumors and polyps

In case polyps are discovered than it must be the foremost duty of the physician to remove it. After having polyps, in case you have only one polyp, than you must undergo colonoscopies more frequently.
Preventives screening that are suitable for people who are diagnosed with ulcerative colitis are as follows:

Undergoing colonoscopy after every 1 to 2 years:
In case you know that you have the disease from last 7 to 8 years
In case the cancer involves the whole of colon
After 12 to 15 years of diagnosis of colitis on left side it begins
To take random colon biopsies during the colonoscopy

Those patients who have ulcerative colitis and in whom biopsies reflect premalignant changes must remove their colon via surgery.

Summing Up the Threats

The removal of one’s colon is directly related to the extent of disease before the patient undergoes surgery. In case the tumor is limited to only the inner layers of the colon than the infected person can expect to live more than 5 years or even more. In case the cancer has reached out at the lymph nodes associated with the colon than the chance of living for 5 years are about 65 per cent. In case the cancer has victimized the organs than the chances of living for more 5 years are dropped to only 8 per cent. In case the cancer has affected your liver than the best way to live long is to remove that part of the liver.
One thing is for sure that once you develop cancer the chances of survival starts to diminish and the best way to live long is to detect the tumor in time and to get rid of it as soon as possible.