Symptoms colon cancer

Q. What is colon cancer?

A. Colon cancer is the term commonly used to describe colo-rectal (or bowel) cancer. The colon is part of the intestines. These consist of the small intestine (the section between the stomach and the appendix) and the large intestine (from the appendix to the anus). The large intestine is divided into the long colon and a short rectum, just before the anus. Two thirds of these cancers occur in the colon and one third in the rectum, with very few in the small intestine.

Q. Who is at risk of colon cancer?

A. There are about 106,000 new cases in the USA each year and 35,000 cases in the UK. More than 80% of these are in people over 60. Obesity can increase the risk of cancer of the colon by up to one third. High alcohol intake is also known to increase the risk of colon cancer. However, some common drugs, such as aspirin-like painkillers and hormone replacement therapy, are known to reduce the risk of bowel cancer.

Q. Does the diet affect the risk of colon cancer?

A. The risk of colon cancer appears to be linked to diet, although the evidence for which types of food are involved is not very clear. Low fat, high fibre diets appear to carry a lower risk. Greater consumption of vegetables and fruit has also been shown to reduce the risk. Increased consumption of red meat and processed meat has been linked to a higher risk. By comparison, eating fish does not appear to be a risk factor. Some evidence suggests that certain dietary supplements, such as calcium, selenium and, possibly, folic acid can reduce the risk.

Q. Does colon cancer run in families?

A. There are two inherited conditions which carry a substantially higher risk of colon cancer. In Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, affected family members develop thousands of small benign growths, called polyps, in the large intestine. Before the age of 40, one or more of these polyps will develop into a bowel cancer. In Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colorectal Cancer (also called Lynch Syndrome), patients develop cancer of the bowels and other organs, usually at an early stage. However, these conditions are very rare and only cause one in twenty cases of bowel cancer. Overall, the risk of bowel cancer doubles if you have a close relative (parent, bother or sister) with this cancer.

Q. Can we screen for colon cancer?

A. There are several ways in which we can screen for colon cancer. Checking for blood in the faeces is the simplest method, although there can be other reasons for this. A more accurate, but less pleasant method, is sigmoidoscopy, in which a flexible optical device is used to examine the inside of the rectum and colon. Both these methods of screening are currently being tested out in the UK to determine which is the best and whether such screening should be used for the whole population. Other screening methods are also being developed.

Q. What are the symptoms of colon cancer?

A. There are a variety of known symptoms of colon cancer including abdominal pain, diarrhoea and constipation, blood in the faeces, or even a blockage of the bowel. However, the symptoms vary from case to case and some cases do not cause any symptoms at all.

Q. How is colon cancer diagnosed?

A. Sigmoidoscopy (see above) or (the very similar) colonoscopy are used to visually examine the inside of the colon. Usually, a barium enema is used to take an x-ray of the shape of the inside of the bowel. Other techniques such as CT scanning or ultrasound can also be used to diagnose how advanced the cancer is.

Q. How is colon cancer treated?

A. Surgery is the main method of treatment. The part of the colon containing the tumour is chopped out and usually a colostomy is performed. In a colostomy, the end of the bowel is diverted to the surface of the abdomen, where the faeces are collected in a plastic bag. Sometimes this is a temporary measure and when the part of the colon that had the cancer has recovered, it can be reconnected to the rest of the bowel. However, if the tumour is in the lower rectum, then both the rectum and anus have to be removed and the colostomy will be permanent. Often patients are given radiotherapy or chemotherapy after the operation as this can kill off any remaining cancer cells.

Q. What are the side effects of treatment?

Surgery, of any sort, causes tiredness and some pain, but these pass.? The long-term side effects of a colostomy are described above.? The main side effects of chemotherapy can be thinning or loss of hair (which only happens with some drugs and is temporary), tiredness, diarrhoea, nausea, sore mouth and minor infections.? These all stop when the treatment stops.? Radiotherapy has some similar side effects (tiredness, diarrhoea and nausea) and some different ones: red and sore skin where the treatment was given and bladder inflammation, causing frequent and uncomfortable urination.

Q. How effective is the treatment?

A. If diagnosed early, before the tumour has spread from the bowel, these treatments are very effective, with about 90% of patients alive five years after diagnosis. However, if the cancer is advanced at the time of diagnosis (ie it has spread to the lymph nodes) only about half of the patients survive for five years.

Colon Cancer

Warning Signs of Cancer
Colon Cancer Signs and Symptoms:
Many with colon cancer may have no symptoms or signs in the early stages of the disease. Symptoms when they? do appear, they may likely vary, depending on the size or spread and the location. In some instances, symptoms may be from a condition other than cancer, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and sometimes diverticulosis. Abdominal pain and or swelling may also indicate colon problems such as perforation.

Blood in the stool may be a sign of cancer, but it can also indicate other problems. Bright red blood that may be noticed on bathroom tissue, may come from hemorrhoids or minor tears (fissures) in the anus, for example. Also, certain foods, such as beets or red licorice may be the culprit as they can turn the stools red. Iron supplements and some medications may make stools black. It is always best to have any sign of blood or change in the stools checked promptly by a health practioner of your choice because it can be a sign of something more serious.

Here is a list of the most common warning signs of Colon Cancer:

* Pain in the lower abdominal area

* Abdominal mass or hardness in the abdomen

* Change in the consistency of stool for more than a couple of weeks

* Diarrhea lasting more than several days

* Significant change in bowel habits including diarrhea or constipation

* Chronic colon problems with bowel movements which would include abdminal pain during bowel movement

* Obstruction of bowel movements

* Narrow stools

* Persistent abdominal pain or discomfort, such as cramps, gas pain

* A feeling that the bowel doesn?t empty completely

* Iron deficiency anemia (may indicate bleeding in the colon)

* Rectal bleeding or blood in the stool

* Significant and or unexplained weight loss

If colon cancer symptoms are present, advanced symptoms of colon cancer, or rectal cancer (also known as colorectal cancer) it is important to know that colon cancers account for appox. 90% of all intestinal cancers and is the second highest cause of cancer deaths for men and women each year. 50 years and older is the most common colon cancer age, about 90% will fall into this age group.? Those with a family history of polyps run a higher risk of having bowel cancer.? There is also a 10% risk of ulcerative colitis (colon ulcers) turning malignant or cancerous.? A history of chronic constipation or improper elimination will also increase the cancer risk.? Symptoms of colon cancer commonly do not give early warning signs of cancer, but through history, examination, and testing, a colon cancer symptoms diagnosis or determination of the presence of cancer can be determined.

What causes colon cancer?
Cancer affects the cells, the basic units of life. Healthy cells grow and divide in an orderly way to keep the body functioning normally. But sometimes this growth gets out of control and cells continue dividing even when new cells aren?t needed. In the colon and rectum, this exaggerated growth may cause precancerous polyps (adenomas, or adenomatous polyps) to form in the lining of your intestine. Over a long period of time [spanning up to several years] some of these polyps may become cancerous. In later stages of the disease, cancerous polyps may penetrate the colon walls and spread to lymph nodes and other organs.

?Acidosis? is the scientific term for a body that has a pH below 7.0., or too acid. In this state, the body is deprived of oxygen causing one to be more susceptible to colds, flus and other diseases/infections. This state, according to science, also contributes to cancer ? including colon cancer.

Acidosis is the cause of America?s #2 killer-cancer. In order to understand the basics of cancer, according to science, we must first understand the acid/alkaline balance. The prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen in normal body cells by a fermentation of sugar.

Over 75 years ago, Dr. Otto Warburg was awarded two Nobel prizes for demonstrating that cancer results when weakened cell respiration occurs due to lack of oxygen at the cellular level. According to this research damaged cell respiration causes fermentation, resulting in low pH at the cellular level. Is research has yet to be disputed, meaning it is accepted as fact because it has never been disproven.

Dr. Otto Warburg described the environment of the cancer cell: A normal healthy cell undergoes an adverse change when it can no longer take in oxygen to convert glucose into energy. In the absence of oxygen, the cell reverts to a primal nutritional program to nourish itself by converting glucose through the process of fermentation. The lactic acid produced by fermentation lowers the cell pH and destroys the ability of DNA and RNA to control cell division. Cancer cells then begin to multiply without restraint.

The lactic acid simultaneously causes severe local pain as it destroys cell enzymes; the cancer appears as a rapidly-growing external cell covering with a core of dead cells. We know cell masses of this description as ?tumors.?
Colon Cancer Polyps
Polyps can occur anywhere in the large intestine. The colon makes up the upper 4 to 5 feet of the large intestine, and the rectum makes up the lower 4 to 5 inches. The colon absorbs water, salt and other minerals from food and stores waste until it is taken out of the body through elimination..

Polyps, can be either mushroom-shaped or flat, and may be large or small. There are also several different types of colon polyps. Among the most common are:

Adenomas ? These polyps have the potential to become cancerous and are usually removed during screening tests such as flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy.

Hyperplastic polyps ? These polyps are rarely, if ever, a risk factor for colorectal cancer.

Inflammatory polyps ? These polyps may follow a bout of ulcerative colitis. Some inflammatory polyps may become cancerous, so having ulcerative colitis increases the overall risk of colon cancer.

Colon Cancer Symptoms in Women ? The Signs

colon cancer symptoms in women

Colon cancer symptoms in women are usually found at an advanced level. The common reason for this is the late diagnosis. Unfortunately, most women will only do hope that the problem will get better by itself as the time goes by, even after they experience such lump feeling in their breast or abnormal feeling with their vagina. If the case is flu, it will be just ok maybe, but as it is a killer cancer, they should get the proper treatment.

So, if you have experienced the colon cancer symptoms in women, you should go to a doctor. You should never deny any chance you got to treat the disease. And the following are some symptoms of this cancer.
1. Losing Weight

If you still do daily eat but you are loosing your weight, then you should immediately call your doctor and see him/her. Despite that losing your weight is one of the possible colon cancer symptoms in women, it can be the result of overactive thyroid. Therefore, you must know the actual either.
2. Bloating

Bloating is one of colon cancer symptoms in women that is commonly related to ovarian cancer and also abdominal pain, or pelvic pain. Even when you haven?t eaten much, you may feel a feeling of fullness. You will also have the a change in your unrinary habit as you will experience going to the toilet in urgent.
3. Change in breast

You should be have more awareness to your breast and what your breast are up to. Look after them carefully, and be aware of lumps feeling as it is one of colon cancer symptoms in women. And thought that you may not detect breat lump at self breast examination, it does?t meant that you are free from cancer. Meanhile, thickening and redness of your breast skin, and discharge of your nipple are other symptoms you should pay attention on.
4. Abnormal bleeding

You should tell your doctor if you experience bleeding in certain period becuase it can also be one of colon cancer symptoms in women. Bleeding after menopasue is one of endometrial cancer, while it can be a symptom of colorectal cancer if you experience GI bleeding. Abnormal bleeding is one of common sign that comes early of endometrial cancer.
5. Skin alteration

You should keep an eye on moles as it is also one of colon cancer symptoms in women. It tells you something wrong when you are bleeding on your skin.
6. Having trouble in swallowing

GI cancers is one of cancers causing you having trouble when swallowing. And this is also one of colon cancer symptoms in women.
7. Bloody urine

If you experience bleeding in your urine, then don?t just let it as there is nothing happens, because it can be one of colon cancer symptoms in women. Most colon cancer considers taht hemorrhoids are the bleeding?s cause of their back passage. Never make assumption, since it can put you in danger. Bloody urine is related to kidney and bladder cancer.
8. Mouth changes

If you smoke a lot, then you should be aware if you spot white pathces inside your mouth or white spots on your tongue. It is called leukoplakia if you experience those colon cancer symptoms in women. Go see your doctor if you a questionable trouble in your mouth.
9. Lymph nodes

If you feel swelling or lump in your lymph nodes under the armpit or in the neck, it means that you should go see your doctor and ask for help. These colon cancer symptoms in women do not always mean the cancer, yet it means that there is something wrong.
10. Fever

Indeed, fever is a common and regular illness everybody can suffer from, yet if you are burnt for no making-sense reason, then you can be suffering from one of colon cancer symptoms in women.

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Source: http://4-medic.com/blog/symptoms-colon-cancer/

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