Colon Cancer Symptoms
What is Colon Cancer?
The human colon is a tube shaped, muscular organ measuring 4 feet long. It expands from the small bowel to the anus, turning and twisting through the abdomen. Main functions of the colon are given below:
- To absorb and digest nutrients from the food
- To store and control evacuation of the fecal material
- To concentrate fecal material by absorbing fluid from it
The right side of the colon absorbs electrolytes and water and left side of colon store and evacuate stool.
Transformation of normal cells causes the cancer. These transformed cells are multiple and grows abnormally. When this cancer left untreated, cancer grows and spreads through the walls of colon and organs. Because of unbridled growth, the cancer becomes dangerous. They overcome healthy tissues, cells and the organs by taking the nutrients, space and oxygen.
Causes of Colon Cancer:
Adenomatous polyps cause much colon cancer which is abnormal cell's cluster in the gland that covers the inner wall of the colon. As time goes, these cells which are abnormal grows enlarges and eventually worsen to become the adenocarcinomas.
People with any of the conditions called as adenomatous polyposis syndromes have a greater risk of colon cancer.
- In this situation numbers of adenomatous polyps are developed in the colon, and finally leading to the colon cancer.
- Before the age of forty, colon cancer generally occurs.
- Adenomatous polyposis syndromes run in families and also referred as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP).
- HNPCC syndromes are related with the genetic abnormality. For testing this abnormality, some tests are available. Peoples are at risk or not can be examined using genetic screening.
- When it is find that people carries abnormal cells, then regular screening and counseling are useful for these people for detecting cancerous tumors precancerous.
- Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer syndromes are some of the times connected to the tumors in another part of the body.
- Uterine, breast, or ovarian cancer now or in the past
- Crohn colitis (Crohn disease) or Ulcerative colitis
- A family history of the colon cancer
- Diet: This is under debate that diet causes the colon cancer or not.
- Obesity: Identified obesity has been a risk factor for the colon cancer.
- Smoking: Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for developing the colon cancer.
- Drug effects: Estrogen replacement therapy and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for example aspirin may minimize risk of colorectal cancer.
Colon Cancer Symptoms:
Colon cancer can shows itself in several ways. If you identified any of the following symptoms, immediately take the medical help. Colon cancer symptoms are blood mixed with the stool and bleeding from the rectum.
- People commonly attribute all the hemorrhoids and rectal bleeding,
- Iron deficiency anemia shown by chronic bleeding .and rectal bleeding can be hidden.
- It may be connected with pale skin and fatigue
- Colon cancer symptoms sometimes but not always detected through the fecal occult blood test. For this test stool's sample is examined in the laboratory for detection of the blood.
- Abdominal distension
- Abdominal pain: This is very rare in case of colon cancer. Tearing is one of the causes.
- Unexplained, persistent nausea or vomiting
- Change in frequency or character of stool (bowel movements)
- Unexplained weight loss
- Sensation of incomplete evacuation after a bowel movement
- Small-caliber (narrow) or ribbon-like stools
- Rectal pain: These rectal pains are rarely occurs in the colon cancer. These generally indicate the bulky tumor in rectum that attacks on the tissues which are surrounding to it.
The average duration of colon cancer symptoms is fourteen weeks. There is no any connection between overall symptom's duration and the stage of the tumor.
Treatment of Colon Cancer:
Medical Treatment:
Surgically remove all or part of the colon. This is a primary procedure.
Chemotherapy: After the surgery can extend survival for the people. These are the people whose cancer may spread near to lymph nodes.
Radiation treatment: The people with the colon cancer do not get benefit from radiation therapy after the surgery. But it does extend survival for the people having rectal cancer.
- Radiation reduces size of the tumor, before the surgery. This improves the chances of removing of tumor successfully.
- Radiation done before the surgery reduces the chances of reoccurrence of the tumor which may come back after the surgery.
Surgery:
For the colon cancer, surgery is the basic treatment:
- In surgery removes whole the tumor or some of the part of the colon.
- The part of the tumor which has to be removed depends on the exacting characteristic and location of the tumor.
- Some of the times only a polyp is cancerous, and since removal of the polyp can be necessary.
- When cancer causes the bowel obstruction, then surgery is very necessary for removing the colon cancer symptoms. The bypass procedure is necessary for the obstruction that can't be cured.
- This is a neatly, small constructed opening in the belly. According to the part of the surgery, colon present at left side of the body is attached with the opening.
- Fecal matter will be exiting from body through this hole instead the anus.
- Wear a bag or small appliance that attaches to the skin around the opening and which collects the fecal matter. For preventing the irritation and odor of the skin, regularly change that bag.
- When possible, doctor will protect anus and rectum. Many surgical procedures are developed which can preserve the fecal material through anus when possible.
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