The What, How and Why of Colon Cancer

 

So as you may or may not know, March was National Colon Cancer Awareness Month.  

This month in particular is used to bring awareness to Colon Cancer and it gives the practitioner a way of educating people about what it is, what is does, how to get screened and treatments that are available.   

What is Colon Cancer?

Cancer of the colon or rectum is located in the lower digestive track Early cases can begin as non-cancer polyps.  This type of cancer often has no symptoms, but can be detected by early screening.  For this reason, doctors , and I, highly recommend you get screened in your early 50’s.

Colorectal Cancer treatment depends on the size and the location and how far the cancer has spread.  Common treatments include; surgery to remove the cancer, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.  

Colon Cancer is sometimes called Rectal Cancer which is a term to combine colon cancer and rectal cancer, which begins in the rectum.  Rectal cancer starts in the colon.  Indirectly, this cancer can also be called colon cancer or colorectal cancer depending on where it starts.

Colon Cancer and Rectal Cancer are often grouped together because they share many features. Cancer that starts when cells in the body begin to grow out of control.  To understand Colorectal Cancer it helps to know about the normal structure and function of the colon and rectum.

The colon and rectum are the largest intestine or the large bowel which is a part of the digestive system also called the gastroinstinal system or the G.I.

Most of large intestine is made up of the Quan a muscular tube about 5 feet long.  That part of the colon is named by which way the food will be traveling.

We have the ascending colon, the transverse colon, the descending colon and the sigmoid colon.  How does it work?  The colon absorbs the water and salt from the remaining food matter after it goes through the small intestine. The waist that is left after going through the colon, goes into the rectum, the final 6 inches of the digestive system.  That matter is stored there until it passes through the anus, which is a ring shaped muscle that keeps stool from coming out until they relax during a bowel movement.

So How Does Cancer Start?

Most colorectal cancers start as a growth on the inner lining of the colon or rectum.  The growth then begins to form into polyps with varying degrees.  The degrees of polyps can change overtime.  Usually, it takes years for the polyps to change, but not all polyps become cancerous.  

The chance of polyps turning into cancer depends on the type of the polyps.  

Colorectal cancer start as a growth on inner lining of the rectum. This growth could develop into polyps.  There are different degrees of these types of polyps. They can change overtime. Usually it takes many years.

But not all polyps become cancerous. The chance of polyps turning into cancer depends on the type of the polyps and the different type of them.
Mass polyps sometimes turn into cancer.  Some people with large hyper Lastic polyps can get them removed during the screening colonoscopy.

There are Cecile polyps to SSP.  These types of polyps are often treated like a deadly form of the polyp because they have a very high risk of colorectal cancer.

How Does It Spread?

The cancer forms into polyps that grow on the walls of the colon or the rectum.  Overtime the walls of the colon and rectum begin to form these polyps that develop into colorectal cancer.  It starts in the innermost layers and can grow when cancerous cells are in the wall.  They can grow into blood vessels that begins to travel throughout the colon.  This is the beginning stages of colorectal cancer.  It also depends on how deeply it’s growing to the wall or if it has spread outside of the Quan.

That’s why we say early detection and diagnosis is so very important.  It is highly recommended to start getting screened as soon as age 50 for man, and 45 for a women.   It is a lifesaving screening.



Getting Screened - Where To Go

To get screened you will set up an appointment with your Gastroenterologist also known as a GI doctor.  Gastroenterologists are doctors who are trained to diagnose and treat problems in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract and liver.  These doctors also do routine procedures such as colonoscopy to look inside your colon.  To do this, the doctor will use a very tiny camera that to look throughout your GI track looking for polyps.

Colonoscopies are a very important tool that a GI doctor will use to check your colon.  If there are polyps, most of the time the doctor will remove them.  Once removed they will send them to a lab to see if it’s cancer. Early detection can save your life.  It’s possible to treat 99% of cancer, especially the common cancer, if you catch it on time.  More than 90% of the people diagnosed with colon cancer at age 50 or older and the average age of diagnostic is 64 research indicates that by 845 one in for people has police getting screamed or excellent and very important

How can you prevent colon cancer?

Knowing your risk of colon cancer is a major factor.  Certain lifestyles put you in danger and higher risk for colon cancer.  These include being overweight and obese, stress, smoking and drinking heavily.  If you have more than two drinks a day, a diet high in red meat and processed foods and a very low in fiber diet also contribute to the risk of colon cancer.  So, with that being said, a high in fiber diet a very moderate diet of red meat can save your life.  

Our gut gives us signs that something is wrong.  

When there is poor bacteria in our gut our body will begin to tell us, if we listen, to what could be happening in our digestive system. Feeling stressed, irritable, brain fog, insomnia, depression and hormones.  In the nervous system some of these signs are poor glucose, a poor metabolism, the reduction of estrogen, gas and bloating, acne, our libido decrees, eczema and the wrinkling of the skin and a metallic taste in the mouth are just some of the ways our bodies talk to us.  

It is a long road to completely prevent colon cancer, but again, with early detection it is 90% curable.

Please do not push your luck, get screened and check it out.  It will save your life.