Colon cancer is the type of cancer that usually has no symptoms. If colon cancer symptoms do appear in a person, it will be a little too late, because he/ she is probably in a very advanced stage of colon cancer. This is the reason why, most of the doctors recommend screening at least one a year.
Colon cancer has five stages. Each colon cancer stage actually shows how far the cancer has spread. There are many ways to diagnose a colon cancer case, even in its most advanced stage. Colonoscopy, barium enema and even a digital rectum exam can tell a doctor if indeed you are suffering from colon cancer or polyps.
First stage in colon cancer is stage 0. In this colon cancer stage you can think of yourself as a very lucky person, because it can be cured. In this colon cancer stage, the disease has not spread beyond your colon or rectum. Treatment in this case is surgery. The part of your colon that has been affected will be removed. If you have a larger tumor, a resection might be the proper treatment for your colon cancer case.
The second colon cancer stage is known as stage 1. In this case, the cancer has not spread beyond the colon, but the cancer has grown through a few layers of your colon. Resection is the used treatments is this colon cancer stage. No further treatment is necessary.
Stage 2 is the next step in colon cancer. This time the disease has gone through the walls of your colon and affected the nearest tissues. In this colon cancer stage, the lymph nodes have not been reached yet. Resection is the only known treatment if you find yourself in this colon cancer stage. However, the rate of recurrence is very big in this case, so your doctor might also use radiation therapy. Chemotherapy can also be used in this colon cancer stage.
Next is stage 3 colon cancer. This is thought as an advanced stage. The lymph nodes are now affected by the disease. Other parts of your body have not been yet affected when suffering from stage 3 colon cancer. Sectional surgery is the right treatment at this point. Chemotherapy is then used to reduce recurrence. Radiation therapy can also be used in this colon cancer stage.
The last and most serious colon cancer stage is 4. In this case, the disease has reached as far as the lungs, ovaries and liver. When you have reached the stage, surgery is only used to relive the symptoms or prevent any further complications. In this case, the colon cancer can not be cured or even removed through surgery.
For more resource on different colon cancer subjects please click this link http://www.colon-cancer-center.com. You can also find valuable information about colon cancer or even about colon cancer symptoms
Archive for the ‘Colon cancer’ Category
Treatment is All Colon Cancer Stages
August 10th, 2009 
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Screening for Colon Cancer
August 6th, 2009 admin There are many methods to detect colon cancer, even tissues that seem suspicious, thus lowering the risk of developing colon cancer. If this type of cancer is detected in its early stages, the 5 year survival percentage in colon cancer patients is about ninety percent. This number drops to almost sixty percent if tissues around your colon cancer have been affected. When distant portions of your body have been affected by this cancer, the survival rate is less than ten percent. So, you see why detecting colon cancer in an early stage is a must.
Even if there are several methods of detecting colon cancer, some of them are more used than the others.
One of the most common methods of screening is the rectal exam. Your doctors inserts a finger into your rectum to detect any abnormalities. This method can detect certain polyps and even colon cancer, but unfortunately it is limited to your rectum area alone.
Fobt is another test that is made to detect colon cancer. It was some controversy in the past concerning this test. Some said that the results of this did not reduce the rate of deaths caused by colon cancer. Nowadays, it has been proven otherwise. Studies showed that by the findings of this test alone, the number of deaths cause by colon cancer was reduced bu almost 20% . When doing this test, patients have to take home a kit, take 3 consecutive samples of bowel moments and than send the kit to a lab. Blood found in the stool is a big colon cancer sign or of polyps, that may turn into colon cancer.
Colonoscopy is another common method used to detect colon cancer. A lighted tube is inserted into your rectum, giving the doctor the chance to examine your entire colon. During this screening procedure most of the patients are under sedation. If polyps are discovered, they can also be removed, lowering the risk of developing colon cancer.
The barium enema is another of the methods used to detect colon cancer. This enema is done to increase the quality of x-rays that will be taken after. This way, if you have any polyps in your colon or suffer from colon cancer, doctors will be able to tell right away.
There are also some other methods to detect colon cancer or polyps, but they are not as common, for one reason or another.
For more resource on different colon cancer subjects please click this link http://www.colon-cancer-center.com. You can also find valuable information about metastatic colon cancer or even about colon cancer treatment
Colon Cancer – What is Colon Cancer
July 29th, 2009 admin The colon is the part of the digestive system where the waste material is stored. The rectum is the end of the colon adjacent to the anus. Together, they form a long, muscular tube called the large intestine (also known as the large bowel). Tumors of the colon and rectum are growths arising from the inner wall of the large intestine. Benign tumors of the large intestine are called polyps. Malignant tumors of the large intestine are called cancers. Benign polyps do not invade nearby tissue or spread to other parts of the body. Benign polyps can be easily removed during colonoscopy and are not life-threatening. If benign polyps are not removed from the large intestine, they can become malignant (cancerous) over time.
Colon cancer is the term commonly used to describe colo-rectal (or bowel) cancer. The colon is part of the intestines. These consist of the small intestine (the section between the stomach and the appendix) and the large intestine (from the appendix to the anus). The large intestine is divided into the long colon and a short rectum, just before the anus. Two thirds of these cancers occur in the colon and one third in the rectum, with very few in the small intestine.
The human colon is a muscular, tube-shaped organ measuring about 4 feet long. It extends from the end of your small bowel to your anus, twisting and turning through your abdomen (belly). Colon cancer is cancer of the large intestine (colon), the lower part of your digestive system. Rectal cancer is cancer of the last 6 inches of the colon. Together, they’re often referred to as colorectal cancers. About 112,000 people are diagnosed with colon cancer annually, and about 41,000 new cases of rectal cancer are diagnosed each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
Constipation, having a bowel movement less than three times a week, can be your body’s way of suggesting that you make some minor adjustments in diet or exercise. However, constipation can also be a symptom of a colon cancer. In the beginning of the colon, waste material is slushy and can easily maneuver around anything that gets in its way. But as it nears the end of the colon, stool solidifies and is less forgiving of obstacles.
The impact of environment on colon cancer risk isn’t very clear. But, you can use what exists to make informed health decisions. For example, if you’re an American asbestos employee who works the late shift and lives in a house of smokers, well, you might want to make colon cancer screening a priority. Few people will actually fit that description, but you get the idea. If you think you’re in an environment that may increase your risk of developing colon cancer, please talk to your doctor about it.
Abdominal Pain: Swelling and pain of the abdomen are also symptoms of colon cancer. This usually occurs when the intestine is blocked by a tumor. If the tumor grows large, then nausea and vomiting can occur.
Blood in your stool may be a sign of cancer, but it can also indicate other conditions. Bright red blood you notice on bathroom tissue more commonly comes from hemorrhoids or minor tears (fissures) in your anus, for example. In addition, certain foods, such as beets or red licorice, can turn your stools red. Iron supplements and some anti-diarrheal medications may make stools black. Still, it’s best to have any sign of blood or change in your stools checked promptly by your doctor because it can be a sign of something more serious