|
Did You Know That Most Cancers Can Be Linked To Nutrition Deficiency?
Click Here For The Latest In Proven Cancer Nutrition And Supplements! Proven Organic Herbs and Liquid Tictures Are Great Remedies Along With Our Medicinal Organic Teas!
Colon cancer
Alternative names
Colorectal cancer; Cancer - colon
Definition
Colon cancer is cancer that starts in the large instestine
(colon) or the rectum (end of the colon). Such cancer is
sometimes referred to as "colorectal cancer."
When cancer starts in the lining of an organ such as the
large intestine, it is called a carcinoma.
Other types of colon cancer such as lymphoma, carcinoid
tumors, melanoma, and sarcomas are rare. In this article,
use of the term "colon cancer" refers to colon
carcinoma and not the other, more rare types of colon cancer.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
There are over 130,000 cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed
in the United States each year, and over 50,000 deaths.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer
deaths. In almost all cases, however, this disease is entirely
treatable if caught early by colonoscopy.
There is no single cause for colon cancer. However, almost
all colon cancers begin as benign polyps which, over a period
of many years, develop into cancers.
Factors that increase the risk of colon cancer are colorectal
polyps, cancer elsewhere in the body, a family history of
colon cancer, and ulcerative colitis.
Patients with a history of breast cancer have a slightly
increased risk of developing colon cancer. Certain genetic
syndromes increase the risk of developing colon cancer in
affected families.
Dietary factors that have been associated with colon cancer
are a high-meat, high-fat, low-fiber diet. However, some
studies found that the risk is not reduced when people switch
to a high-fiber diet, so the cause of the link is not yet
clear.
Symptoms
With proper screening, colon cancer should be detected BEFORE
the development of symptoms, when it is most curable.
Most cases of colon cancer have no symptoms. The following
symptoms, however, may indicate colon cancer:
• Diarrhea, constipation, or other change in bowel habits
that does not resolve
• Blood in the stool
• Unexplained anemia (anemia in any adult who is not a menstruating
woman should almost always be evaluated by a colonoscopy)
• Abdominal pain and tenderness in the lower abdomen
• Intestinal obstruction
• Weight loss with no known reason
• Stools narrower than usual
Signs and tests
A physical examination rarely shows any abnormalities, although
an abdominal mass may be present. A rectal examination may
reveal a mass in patients with rectal cancer, but not colon
cancer.
A colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy may reveal evidence of cancer.
However, only colonoscopy (NOT sigmoidoscopy) examines the
entire colon.
A fecal occult blood test (FOBT) may detect small amounts
of blood in the stool, a possible indicator of colon cancer.
However, this test is often negative in patients with colon
cancer. Not all polyps bleed, and not all polyps bleed all
the time. That is why a FOBT must be used with one of the
other more invasive screening measures, either colonoscopy
or sigmoidoscopy. Finally, a positive FOBT doesn't necessarily
mean the person has cancer -- "false positives"
may be caused by some medications and other factors.
A blood count may reveal evidence of anemia with low iron
levels. A CT scan may show an abdominal mass, although this
test is not very good at detecting colon cancer.
Treatment
Treatment depends partly on the stage of the cancer. This
means how far the tumor has spread through the layers of
the intestine, from the innermost lining to outside the
intestinal wall and beyond:
• Stage 0: Very early cancer on the innermost layer (more
accurately considered a precursor to cancer)
• Stage I: Tumor in the inner layers of the colon
• Stage II: Tumor has spread through the muscle wall of
the colon
• Stage III: Tumor that has spread to the lymph nodes
• Stage IV: Tumor that has spread to distant organs
Stage 0 colon cancer may be treated by cutting out the lesion,
often via a colonoscopy. For stages I, II, and III cancer,
more extensive surgery to remove a segment of colon containing
the tumor and reattachment of the colon is necessary. (See
colon resection.) This procedure only rarely requires a
colostomy.
Almost all patients with stage III colon cancer, after surgery,
should receive chemotherapy (adjuvant chemotherapy) with
a drug known as 5-fluorouracil given for approximately 6
- 8 months. This drug has been shown to increase the chance
of a cure. There is some debate as to whether patients with
stage II colon cancer should receive chemotherapy after
surgery, and patients should discuss this with their oncologist.
Chemotherapy is also used for patients with stage IV disease
in order to shrink the tumor, lengthen life, and improve
the patient's quality of life. Irinotecan, oxaloplatin,
and 5-fluorouracil are the 3 most commonly used drugs, given
either individually or in combination. There are oral chemotherapy
drugs which are similar to 5-fluroruracil, the most commonly
used being capecitabine (Xeloda).
Oxaliplatin, a newer chemotherapy drug, was approved by
the FDA in 2002 and is also active against colon cancer.
It is often used in combination with 5-fluorouracil, and
studies are being done that combine it with other chemotherapy
drugs. Other chemotherapy agents, including drugs that specifically
target abnormalities in cancer cells, are currently in development
and undergoing clinical trials.
For patients with stage IV disease that is localized to
the liver, various treatments directed specifically at the
liver can be used. Tumors may be surgically removed, burned,
or frozen in some cases. Chemotherapy or radioactive substances
can sometimes be infused directly into the liver.
Radiation therapy is occasionally used in patients with
colon cancer, but this is often used in combination with
chemotherapy for patients with stage III rectal cancer.
Support Groups
For additional resources and information, see colon cancer
support group.
Expectations (prognosis)
If the patient's colon cancer does not come back (recur)
within 5 years, it is considered cured. This is because
colon cancer rarely comes back after 5 years. Stage I, II,
and III cancers are considered potentially curable. In most
cases, stage IV cancer is not curable.
Stage I has a 90% 5-year survival. Stage II has a 75 - 85%
5-year survival, and Stage III a 40 - 60% 5-year survival.
These numbers take into account that for stage III patients
(and in some studies, stage II patients), chemotherapy improves
the chance of 5-year survival.
Patients with stage IV disease rarely live beyond 5 years,
and the median survival (meaning half the patients live
longer, and half shorter) with treatment is between 1 and
2 years.
Complications
• Cancer spreading to other organs or tissues (metastasis)
• Recurrence of carcinoma within the colon
• Development of a second primary colorectal cancer
Calling your health care provider
Colon cancer is, in almost all cases, a treatable disease
if caught early. Removal of premalignant polyps by colonoscopy
essentially prevents colon cancer. Any man or woman age
50 or over who has not had a colonoscopy should call his
or her physician to schedule one.
Additionally, call your physician if you develop blood in
the stool (either visible blood or blood detected by a home
fecal occult blood test), black tarry stool, or a change
in bowel habits. However, it is important to emphasize that
most people with colon cancer have no symptoms.
Prevention
Approximately 50,000 people die of colon cancer every year.
Yet, colon cancer can almost always be caught in its earliest
and most curable stages by colonoscopy. Almost all men and
women age 50 and older should have a colonoscopy.
Colonoscopy is almost always painless and most patients
are asleep for the entire procedure. Taking laxatives and/or
enemas before the test to clean out the colon isn't fun,
but most people find this to be the worst part of the procedure.
It may be embarrassing or awkward, but it is certainly better
than having cancer.
Certain people may require colonoscopies before age 50.
These include persons with a history of colon polyps or
inflammatory bowel disease, and people with a first degree
relative (mother, father, brother or sister) with colon
cancer that developed before the age of 60.
Additionally, patients with personal or family history of
other types of cancer may need to consider colon cancer
screening at an earlier age.
Fecal occult blood test, sigmoidoscopy, and barium enema
are other screening tests that can be used for early detection
and prevention of colon cancer, but colonoscopy remains
the gold standard.
A new test, a virtual colonoscopy, uses CT scan technology
to visualize the colon. There are several problems with
this test, however. First, it is early in development and
we still don't have enough information to determine how
accurate it really is. Second, patients must take a preparation
the night before to clean out the colon. Finally, if an
abnormality is seen, the patient must still undergo a traditional
colonoscopy.
Dietary and lifestyle modifications are important. Some
evidence suggests that low-fat and high-fiber diets may
reduce your risk of colon cancer. However, even patients
who follow strict diets can develop this disease and require
colonoscopy.
Some evidence suggests that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAIDs) may help prevent colon cancer, but again,
screening is still necessary.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/
ency/article/000262.htm
| 
High Grade Liquid
Discount Brand Name
Vitamins And
Cancer Nutrition Packages!
ORDER NOW!
LOWEST PRICES
ONLINE ON ALL LIQUID
SUPPLEMENTS GUARANTEED!Only at www.SharpWebLabs.com!
Put Some Nutrition
In Your Life Today!
Guaranteed Satisfaction! Thousands Of Customers! Cancer And Nutrition Go Hand In Hand!
|
