Colon is the last and largest part of your large intestine. It consists of a tube that carries your undigested food from the alimentary canal and helps defecate it through the rectum (opening of anus). From here the undigested food which is now called waste is defecated from the body. Colon or colorectal cancer starts from your colon. The development of some abnormal buds of cells in the inner lining of the colon is the known cause of colon cancer while the buds are called polyps. Screening and imaging tests are performed to detect cancerous polyps and precancerous polyps in your rectum. If they are detected at a precancerous stage, they can be prevented to become cancerous tumors. But if the cancerous polyps are not diagnosed at an earlier stage they may spread to other parts of your body. Therefore, screening tests are most important in finding such tumors. Early diagnosis, perfect treatment strategies and new kinds of effective treatments have made it possible to save more and more people from dying due to colon cancer.
How Can Colon Cancer Affect You?
Different types of muscles, tissues and mucous membrane combine to form colon tubes. The innermost layer is composed of mucosa and this is the place where cancer starts. This layer produces and releases different types of fluids and mucus.
Although at start the polyps are not cancerous in nature but over time they become. They may take a duration of many years to convert the precancerous polyps into cancerous polyps. With the passage of time untreated polyps enter the tissue, muscles and the outer layer of your colon. Through blood vessels and lymph nodes, the cancer also reaches other parts of your body.
How Common is Colon Cancer?
This is the third most common type of cancer around the world. It affects more men than women. In addition, people belonging to Black race are more likely to develop cancer as compared to those belonging to ethnic groups.
Moreover, colon cancer mostly affects people aged 50 or more. However, studies show that in recent years the condition is also reported in people with age between 25 to 45 and the percentage is increasing day by day. Although the percentage of patients with colon cancer has increased since last decade, The reason for the increase is not well-known to us till the date.
Symptoms and Causes
Symptoms of Colon Cancer
Colon cancer sometimes doesn’t show symptoms and sometimes the symptoms are not clear. Unclear symptoms make it difficult to be sure if changes in your body belong to colon cancer. However, its common symptoms include:
Fatigue and Shortness of Breath: Lack of red blood cells causes lower levels of hemoglobin that is an essential factor for transporting oxygen to every cell of your body. When your body drops the level of red blood cells it causes a condition called anemia. Anemia is the major cause of fatigue and shortness of breath due to lack of oxygen supply. Therefore, it’s also a well-known reason for colon cancer.
Bloated Stomach: This is not only a belly pain that makes you feel bloated, but if it lasts for more than ten days it may be a sign of serious disease. If the symptoms get more severe such as blood in your poop or vomiting, talk to your doctor.
Blood in Your Stool: Noticing blood in your stool por looking at the poop bright red or dark, is an alarming situation. But remember that every time blood in stool is not the sign of colon cancer. Hemorrhoids or some other conditions also cause change in color of your poop. But it’s good to visit your doctor, when you find blood in your stool.
Unexplained Weight Loss: A noticeable drop in your body weight is another important sign of colon cancer, especially when you’re not trying to lose weight.
Changes in Your Bowel Habits: Persistent diarrhea or constipation leads to colon cancer. Feeling pooped even after going to the bathroom is also a major sign of condition.
Abdominal Pain: If you experience a constant abdominal pain that hurts you and doesn’t go away, this may be a cause of colon cancer. Although there are a lot of reasons for belly pain, it is better to check with your doctor if you have constant unusual abdominal pain.
Vomiting: If you are vomiting periodically for no known reason within twenty four hours, talk to your healthcare provider. Because it’s an alarming situation.
Causes of Colon Cancer
Sudden and uncontrolled division of cells causes cancer. Similarly, uncontrolled division of colon inner lining cells turns to glyphs which usually result in cancer. On the other hand, the healthy cells in your body constantly grow and die. In this way your body remains growing and healthy. In colon cancer, the cells of the rectum keep multiplying instead of dying. The actual cause of developing precancerous cells in the colon is still unknown. Medical scientists are trying to find the reasons but they just know certain risk factors that can increase the chances of developing cancerous polyps in the colon. Certain Medical conditions and lifestyle chives included in these risk factors. Having such factors not the indication of colon cancer but understanding and recognizing these factors can help you identify the symptoms related to colorectal cancer.
Medical conditions that increase the chances of developing colorectal cancer, include:
Presence of Numerous Polyps: development of numerous polyps in colon, including serrated polyps and adenoma increase the risk of developing polyps related to colon cancer.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Health conditions, such as Crohn’s colitis and ulcerative colitis can cause inflammation of your colon lining. This leads to colon cancer. Thus the risk of inflammatory disease is directly linked with the greater chances of developing colorectal cancer as well.
A Family History of Different Types of Cancer: Having close family members with colon cancer or any other type of cancer increases the chances of developing colon cancer. If your biological relations like your father, mother or sibling have colon cancer before age 50, you are more likely to develop the condition.
A Family History of Polyps: Having a biological family member with polyps increases the chances of developing colon cancer in you. You have a greater chance of getting affected by the cancerous polyps in your colon if you have a genetic link with the polyps.
Inherited Disease: certain genetic or inherited diseases such as adenomatous polyposis or lynch syndrome are associated with higher risk of developing colon cancer. It is also transferred to the next generation with the gene.
Lifestyle Habits Related to Risk Factors
Lack of Physical Activity: Involving yourself in regular physical activities like exercise or workouts can help you decrease the chance of risk of developing colon cancer.
Using Tobacco Products: Tobacco products like cigarettes, chewing tobacco or e-cigarettes increase the risk of developing the condition. It is good to quit their use.
Eating Processed Food: Processed food including red meat is a major cause of formation of polyps in your colon. So, you are advised to avoid these edibles to decrease the risk of colon cancer.
Being Overweight: Unnecessary body weight due to eating high-calorie food or high fat can cause an increase in risk of condition. Avoid such things to decrease the risk of colon cancer.
Higher Consumption of Alcohol: Alcohol is a big source of developing cancerous and precancerous tumors in your colon. Avoiding alcoholic beverages can help decrease the risk of developing polyps. Studies suggest that men should limit their alcohol consumption to one serving per day while women are not allowed to drink alcoholic beverages at all.
Diagnosis and Tests
How Can Doctors Diagnose Colon Cancer?
You may undergo several medical tests to check if you have polyps in your colon. These tests include:
- Ultrasound of colon inner lining.
- Complete blood count (CBC).
- X-rays.
- Biopsy.
- Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP).
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.
- Compound tomography (CT) scan.
- Positron emission tomography (PET) scan.
However you may choose a screening test to diagnose the condition. The screening tests used to check for cancerous tumors if you don’t have any signs of cancer. Your healthcare provider may recommend screening tests if you don’t show any abnormalities. The most common and reliable screening test for colon cancer is colonoscopy but some other tests are also considered good, such as:
Fecal DNA Test: Genetic mutations and any blood products are indicated through this test.
Virtual colonoscopy: This is an X-ray type test that is used to look for sores, polyps and tumors in your colon or rectum.
Fecal Immunochemical Test: Your poop is checked if it has any hidden blood. Professionals take a sample of poop to detect any blood product which cannot be seen by ordinary means.
Flexible Sigmoidoscopy: A flexible scope is inserted to check if there is a bud or tumor inside your rectum or colon.
How to Identify the Stage of Colon Cancer?
Colon cancer is staged by using a cancer staging system developed by the American Committee on Cancer Prevention. Colon cancer has been divided into four stages by the experts working at the oncological institute of the country. Some stages are further divided into sub-stages.
Stage 0: This stage is known as carcinoma in situ. This means that at this stage the precancerous or abnormally grown cells are present in the innermost layer of your colon that is mucosa.
Stage I: At this stage the cancerous cells approach the wall of your intestine but they still are away from the lymph nodes and muscular coat.
Stage II: This stage shows the cancerous cells have reached your wall of intestine but lymph nodes are still saved. Stage II colon cancer is further divided into three types, including
Stage IIA: Cancerous cells spread through the most portion of your colon but they have not still reached the outer wall.
Stage IIB: At this stage the outer wall of the colon gets affected by the cancerous invasion.
Stage IIC: Cancerous cells have started to invade the nearby organs of your body.
Stage III: this stage is characterized with the approach of cancerous cells to the lymph nodes found in your colon. It has three sub-stages.
Stage IIIA: The cancer has reached the first two layers of your colon and also invaded the first four lymph nodes.
Stage IIIB: This stage tells that cancer has damaged nearly all layers of your colon wall but only three lymph nodes have been affected.
Stage IIIC: At this stage, cancerous cells invade the innermost lining of the colon. All lymph nodes also have been affected. But cancer still has not spread to nearby organs.
Stage IV: This is the last stage where cancer has spread to nearby organs including, lungs, ovaries, liver and kidneys. This stage is also subdivided into three types.
Stage IVA: This stage confirms the approach of converting to the other organs or to farther lymph nodes that are far away from your colon.
Stage IVB: More organs and more lymph nodes have been invaded by the cancerous tours.
Stage IV C: Cancer approaches distant abdominal tissues, organs, and lymph nodes.
Treatment and Management of Colorectal Cancer
The most common treatment for colon cancer is surgery. Different Types Of surgeries popular for the condition, include:
Radio-frequency Ablation: In this treatment method, the cancerous tumors are invaded with heat waves that rupture the structure of tumors and make them inactive.
Polypectomy: Cancerous polyps are removed through this surgery.
Surgical Resection with Colostomy: In this treatment option, certain sections of your colon that contain tumors are removed. However, surgeons should be careful enough to make sure that they will not remove any healthy colon section. Therefore, most surgeons prefer to do a colostomy. Colostomy is a procedure which helps move your bowel to an opening in your abdominal wall so that your poop can be collected in a bag.
Partial Colectomy: This is another form of colon resection surgery. Surgeons remove tumors and affected portions of your colon but they reconnect healthy colon portions through anastomosis.
In addition, healthcare providers also recommend other options idf treatment such as targeted therapy or chemotherapy to treat the colorectal cancer. These options are suitable if the cancer has come back after surgery.
Conclusion
In the modern era, people are giving more attention to the screening for colon cancer. This is not a weird thing now. However, a few years ago, people didn’t want to talk about it and feel hesitant when experiencing any of the symptoms related to colorectal cancer.
Modern technologies in the medical field have made it impossible for the doctors to diagnose and treat colon cancer before it spreads to other organs.
Health organizations showed data which confirms that easel detection of colon cancer has saved more than 90% of affected people. Newer treatment options also have made it easy to choose the most effective treatment option for increasing the survival rate.
