Colon Cancer Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

Colon Cancer - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

The colon is an extremely important part of our digestive system and is a storage tube for solid waste that passes through our bodies. Its main function is to extract water and salt from feces. This vital part of our body's

internal makeup consists of the transverse colon, the ascending colon, the sigmoid colon, and the descending colon.

The colon rectal cancer is many a times referred to as the colorectal cancer or either the large bowel cancer. It is mainly ascribed to the retard growth of the cancerous cells in the colon or the rectum and is the third most common sub category of this particular disease that claims the second highest number of fatalities in the West.

Staging is a method of evaluating the progress of colon cancer in a patient. That is, it looks at the colon cancer (tumor) and the extent to which the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Once doctors know how far along the colon cancer is, they can decide on the best course of treatment. Today, the most common used system for the staging of colon cancer is the American Joint Committee on Cancer's (AJCC) TNM staging system. This staging system places patients into one of four stages (Stage I, Stage II, Stage III and Stage IV).

Causes

It is believed that high fat diets can lead to colon cancer. Research shows that the fat intake of people with colon cancer is much lower than that of people without colon cancer. When fat metabolism breaks down, it is believed to cause cancerous chemicals to form in the body. These chemicals cause the abnormal growth of cells. Diets that contain a large amount of vegetables and fiber help to cleanse the body of these chemicals thus reducing the risk of developing colon cancer.

Symptoms

Except in those with no symptoms, colon cancer sends out warning signals which should be brought to a doctor's attention. These include a change in the size and shape of the stool and rectal bleeding.

Symptoms of colon cancer include presence of blood in the stools and bleeding of the rectum. Some of the other signs of colon cancer could include change in bowel regularity, benign polyps in the colon, a decrease in stool size, cramps, unexplained weight loss, vomiting, the existence of pain in the stomach and continuous fatigue. These are the signs you should look for if you suspect that you could possibly be developing colon cancer.

Here is a list of colon cancer signs: Pain in the lower abdominal area, Chronic colon problems with bowel movements, Diarrhea lasting more than several days, Chronic colon problems with bowel movements, obstruction of bowel movements, iron deficiency anem

Treatment of colon cancer

Effectiveness of the treatment of colon cancer is governed by how early it is detected/ diagnosed. There are various ways of treating colon cancer and researchers are always looking for newer and better ways of treating colon cancer. However, as of now, surgical procedures are one of the prime treatments for colon cancer. The objective is to remove all the cancerous tissues and hence prevent the cancer from spreading. Other treatments of cancer include application of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.


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