Colon Cancer Risk Factors Diagnosis
The colon (colon) has the task to thicken the food leftovers and to transport them towards the intestinal exit. In the last section of the large intestine, the rectum, the stool is stored until it is finally excreted. Colorectal cancer is most common in the rectum.
Large intestine, small intestine and rectum
- large intestine 2. appendix 3. large bowel 4. small intestine 5. rectum 6. rectum exit
Colon Cancer risk factors
The risk of colorectal cancer is increased in the following situations:
Familial risk: the disease risk is increased in hereditary nonpolypous colon carcinoma syndrome (HNPCC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)
- Colon cancer (or intestinal polyps) in parents or siblings
- Earlier discovered and removed intestinal polyps
- Chronic inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
Colon Cancer Prevention and early detection
Having a healthy lifestyle can lower the risk of colorectal cancer. For the early detection of colorectal cancer, there are two different methods of examination: the “blood-in-stool test” and the colonoscopy. If colon cancer is detected early , it is curable in most cases.
Colon Cancer Complaints and symptoms
For many years, colon cancer does not cause noticeable symptoms. Symptoms that can occur are:
Altered bowel habits, such as sudden onset of diarrhea and / or constipation or change between diarrhea and constipation
- Chair urge without emptying
- Unclear weight loss
- Blood in the stool or on the stool. The bowel movement may be discolored red or black
- Bleeding of the rectum (rectal bleeding)
- Slimy chair
- New onset and persistent abdominal pain, bloating, loss of appetite and energy
Colon Cancer diagnosis
For diagnosis, a colonoscopy is performed. In this examination, the doctor introduces an instrument with a camera into the intestine. This allows the intestine to be viewed from the inside. Tissue samples can be taken with the help of special instruments. The examination of the tissue samples provides information about whether or not there is a cancer.
Colon Cancer therapy
The treatment of colon cancer is planned individually. Decisive for the treatment are the location, size and type of the tumor, the spread of the colon cancer and other factors. The main treatments for colon cancer are:
Colon Cancer surgery
Drug therapies: chemotherapy, antibody therapies,
radiotherapy
