Symptoms of colorectal colon cancer

Colon cancer or colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States. And it occurs most often in people older than 50. With 655, 000 deaths worldwide per year, it is the third most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer – related death in the Western world. When it is found early, it is easily treated and often cured. But because it usually is not found early, it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Knowing what are the symptoms of colon cancer is very important because it is easily treated if it is found early. The key is to find it as early as possible.

The rudimentary symptoms of colon cancer are usually superficial, parallel disconsolate, weight loss, and tiredness ( exhaustion ). Local ( bowel ) symptoms are rare until the tumor has grown to a big size. Much, the nearer the tumor is to the anus, the other bowel symptoms finished will equate.

The cecum and ascending colon are on the good side of your intestines. Cancer in this area may filter, causing roseate in the leak and symptoms of anemia, including prostration and weakness. The amount of rubicund may buy for humble and in consequence hardy mixed with admit that your make public may gaze standard. The rambling colon goes across your body from good to isolated. Cancer here may cause abdominal cramps. The descending colon and the S – shaped sigmoid colon are on the troglodytic side of your tummy and join the rectum. Cancer here may cause narrower stools and bright red blood in the stool.

The lifetime risk of developing colon cancer in the United States is about 7 %. Colorectal cancer can take many years to develop and early detection of colorectal cancer greatly improves the chances of a cure. If you or your doctor thinks you have colon cancer then you will need a test, called a colonoscopy, that lets the doctor see the inside of your entire colon and rectum. During this test, your doctor will remove polyps or take tissue samples from any areas that don ‘ t look normal.

The symptoms include:

Abdominal pain, bloating, or discomfort
Bloody stool
Long, thin stool (often described as pencil-like)
Unintended weight loss
Loss of appetite
Changes in normal bowel habits (rectal bleeding, diarrhea, constipation, or feeling an inability to completely empty the bowel).

Each year nearly 150,000 new cases of this disease are reported. There is no identifiable cause for it, but the following are some of the factors that may increase the risk of its development:

Gender (Both men and women are equally prone to developing the malady. However, men tend to develop the rectal version at slightly higher rates, while women are more prone to the colon variety)
Age (The sickness can be developed at any age, but the chances are increased in people over the age of 50 years old.)
Diabetes
Obesity
Cigarette smoking
Alcohol consumption
Poor diet
Family history
Personal history.

People with a family history of colorectal cancer are slightly more prone to developing it. If more than one family member has been diagnosed with the problem, the risk is even higher. Also, diets high in calories and fat, and low in fiber add to an increased risk of developing the disorder. Anyone over the age of 50 should undergo regular screening for the disorder, but anyone in any of the above risk groups should begin earlier.

Screening normally consists of an annual rectal exam, including stool samples. Some exams may require a scope to be inserted into the rectum in order to view the entire bowel. If there is cause for concern or further examination of the colon’s tissue, a biopsy may be ordered for a closer analysis. If cancer is discovered, other tests, such as an ultrasound, CT scan or X-ray would be done in order to determine whether it has spread to other areas. Of particular concern is the liver as it is one of the more likely places that this dangerous disease spreads to.

Because the risk can be reduced by a high fiber diet, proper weight management (including exercise) and by not smoking, it is highly recommended that people opt for healthier lifestyles and decrease their chances of developing this type of life threatening ailment, and others, as much as possible.

Anyone who has experienced some of the previously mentioned symtoms, or who are in one of the risks groups for the disease, is advised to seek screening tests as early as possible since colorectal cancer responds very well to treatment in the earliest stages.

About the Author:Symptoms of colorectal colon cancer
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Symptoms of colorectal colon cancer

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Once diagnosed with any type of cancer, most people do tend to initially go into a depression mode till the extent of the cancer is diagnosed and they get some reassurances. Somehow the Big C still has a strange sense of doom that comes along with it, no matter what doctors might tell you about it. The same holds true for patients diagnosed with cancer of the colon. But what they must keep in mind is that they have the support of their family and friends and the future’s not as bleak as it may appear.

An illness in the family, seeing loved ones suffer and go through this diagnosis, causes anxiety and emotional pain in a close family circle whether it is colon cancer or any other disease. Friends are then the main positive support that the family has apart from one another. But if the patient finds that the family is not enough support and he needs more, then a good idea would be to find local support groups and get involved with activities with them. Sharing experiences, hearing success stories have a very positive effect on the sufferer. Include rest in your daily activities as this is a key factor in getting better.

Once diagnosed, get to the library or get on to the Internet and find out all you can about the disease. The more you know about it, the more you help yourself as understanding well very often brings peace of mind. It is the fear of the unknown in cancer that brings the element of fear with it. Information of what is happening to the body during treatment and how it will affect the future is very important for the patient. Mental preparation can turn the worst case scenario into a scenario where there is hope.

Treatment options are dependent on the severity of the case and how advanced the cancer is at the time of diagnosis. A second opinion may be considered if the patient plans to go ahead with the recommended treatment. One would be very happy if the cancer is totally eliminated but patients will be happy with just having the cancer stopped from spreading and relief from the associated discomfort.

For colon cancer the main line of treatment is surgery. Removal of the whole colon or part of it is dependent on the size and location of the cancer. If it is only a polyp then removal of just that little bit should suffice but if it is the whole colon due to the fact that the cancer is advanced then the patient may have to wear a colostomy for the rest of his life.

Chemotherapy is another option for the treatment of this type of cancer. Intake of medicines is done either orally or through the veins and this works well after surgery to get rid of residual cancer cells as well as control further growth, gives relief from symptoms and increases longevity. Radiation therapy which would normally be used together with chemotherapy, is not used for colon cancer.

About the Author:More information on colon cancer treatments
colon cancer treatments
http://www.coloncleansenews.com
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Options For Treating Your Colon Cancer

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New research may link one of the species of bacteria that live in our digestive system to the development of colon cancer symptoms. Home to many species, some “good” and others “bad”, our digestive system provides these microbes a place to live, and in return they help with digestion and training the body’s immune system. In susceptible people, this otherwise harmless organism causes DNA changes that can be a precursor to cancer.

The organism, known to scientists as enterococcus faecalis, (or E. faecalis for short) lives quietly in the digestive system of most of us, and it’s true that not everyone develops colon cancer. For reasons scientists have yet to understand, in some people the organism produces an oxygen molecule known as superoxide that cause changes in DNA and prompt some of the gene action tied to cancer.

The research, conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Oklahoma City, looked at how colon cells reacted in the lab to the bacteria in the “fermentation” state. All in all, 42 genes linked to key processes in body cells were altered by the presence of E. faecalis.

“We found that superoxide led to strong signaling in immune cells called macrophages – it also altered the way some cells in the gut grew and divided and even increased the productivity of genes which are associated with cancer.” says professor Mark Huycke, the lead researcher.

Experts in the UK also agree that bacteria may be likely culprits in cancers of the colon. Dr. Barry Campbell of the University of Liverpool agrees that E. faecalis could be involved, but he also believes that there are other bacteria in the bowel that play a part in the cell changes that eventually bring on tumors. He insists, “There is not going to be only one culprit. Our own team is interested in a particular type of E. coli with this in mind. There are also many other factors which are involved, such as genetics and environment.”

And while the experts figure out what may be the root of the problem, there are things that you can do, right now, to reduce your risk. Living a healthy lifestyle where you eat right, exercise, don’t smoke or drink to excess are important first steps. Keeping your weight under control will not only reduce your colon cancer risk, it will have you looking better and feeling better too.

You’ll also want to learn all you can about colon cancer if you have a close family member like a parent or sibling with this disease. If you are at increased risk, your doctor will likely advise you to have colon screening tests before the usual age of 50. Don’t put these off, and report promptly any change in your bowel habits to your doctor. Waiting in fear does you no good… and may rob you of your chance to fight your disease.

You’ll also want to limit your exposure to toxins and radiation. While it takes a lot of radiation to get to a level that might cause cancer, you want to have tests you need but try to avoid exposure to unnecessary radiation.

Each year colon cancer claims nearly 50,000 lives, with over 100,000 patients newly diagnosed with colon cancer symptoms. Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy and vaccine therapy. Clinical trials are also ongoing and yielding promising new leads all the time.

About the Author:
Over 14,000 people have joined Kirsten’s popular (and sometimes controversial) Daily Health Bulletin, so why not join them and stay up to date with the latest on treating colon cancer symptoms and general health news daily. You also get 5 comprehensive health reports free when you join – giving you all you need to treat common ailments, lose weight, look younger and
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Why Bacteria May Be the Cause of Colon Cancer Symptoms

This is a 9 minute video for people who have had bowel cancer surgery and now have a colostomy. So many people with a colostomy do not know about colostomy irrigation and how it can get freedom and normality back into ones life.

This colon cancer video is an instructional guide on how to do a colostomy irrigation and I hope should be a great help to those who have had bowel cancer surgery.

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The large intestine, also called colon, is located in the abdominal cavity where it takes the form of an inverted U. It follows the small intestine into the pit right iliac then back along the abdomen, it is experiencing in its upper part, then downhill into the left iliac fossa where it forms a loop S (sigmoid colon ).

It then continues with the rectum and then, 15 cm lower, with the anal canal and ending with the anus. Malignant tumors of intestin develop in 70 percent of cases in the rectum and sigmoid, from the mucosa (inner layer) or more often a polyp (benign tumor that has cancérisée).

Colon Cancer Symptoms

We have to wait very long, often several months to see the first symptoms usually occurring by the presence of blood or mucus in black, and disorders of transit for more than three weeks, mainly characterized by alternating diarrhea and constipation. Without treatment, cancer of the colon can cause intestinal obstruction, more rarely perforation of the bowel wall. Later, chronic bleeding that occurs in the tumor causes anemia and unintended weight loss.

Colon Cancer Causes

If we do not yet know the exact causes of colon cancer, it is believed that some severe inflammatory diseases of the bowel as well as foods rich in fat and low in fiber promote its appearance.

We also believe that five per cent of cancers rectocoliques certainly have a family, ie they are favored by inherited genes. We know for example that children, brothers and sisters of people who had colon cancer may also develop this disease. This risk is particularly high in families with a “familial polyposis.”

The disorder is characterized by the presence in many colon polyps, benign tumors that almost always turn into cancer if not removed in time. The progress of genetic engineering we will soon find the gene responsible for the disease among children in these families, regularly monitor those who own and operate them if necessary, while avoiding investigations and unnecessary fears to those who do the not.

Colon Cancer Prevention and Early Detection

If there is no really effective way to prevent colon cancer, it is strongly recommended eating foods rich in fiber and drink plenty of fluids. The systematic excision of polyps discovered during an endoscopy is in fact the main measure to prevent colon cancer.

It is also impossible to practice early detection, for example by using a self-examination. The only way to detect colon cancer is to consult a doctor without delay from onset of symptoms mentioned above, namely the presence of blood in the stool and disorders transit. It is therefore necessary to regularly observe the appearance of the stool. The presence of blood should never be attributed to hemorrhoids, at least among those who have more than forty years before fully to investigate the intestine by endoscopy (direct examination with a flexible instrument that we introduced by the rectum).

As for reviews that are to detect the invisible presence of blood in the stool in search of a chronic hemorrhage, they may be useful but are not sufficient because they do almost never detect tumors early, when it is still curable. Moreover, the presence of blood in the stool is not always a sign of colon cancer.

The only way to make a diagnosis with certainty is that allows endoscopy to examine directly, or the lower part of the large intestine (rectosigmoïdoscopie) where develop almost all the tumors of the intestine or the entire large intestine ( colonoscopy).

About the Author:Florida Abortions Clinic. Dr. James S. Pendergraft opened the Orlando Women’s Center in March 1996 to provide a full range of health care for women, including Medical Abortions, physical examinations, family planning, counseling, laboratory services. Orlando Women’s Center. Second, And Late Term Abortions Clinic.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Understanding Colon Cancer: Symptoms, Causes and Early Detection