Colon Cancer Colon cancer, also referred to as colorectal cancer, is a cancer of the colon or the rectum. Colon cancer is the third leading cause of death in both men and women and is the third most common malignancy in the United States (Kim). The following will discuss how colon cancer develops, signs and symptoms, causes, and clinical tests used to detect the disease. Prognosis, prevention, and treatment options will also be discussed. The colon, a long, hollow tube which runs from the stomach to the anal opening is designed to digest and absorb nutrients from food, concentrate fecal material by absorbing fluid from it and retaining waste products until elimination (Colorectal). Sometimes abnormal growths, called polyps, form in the colon or rectum. When the polyps first form, they are not cancerous. Over time, however, some of these polyps may become cancerous (Colon Cancer). Colorectal cancer is usually identified through screening in its early stages. Unfortunately, many patients are not diagnosed until they notice the symptoms of this disease and upon examination are usually found to be in one of the stages of the disease (Young). …show more content…
Surgery for colon cancer will require removal of the tumor along with a small section of the bowel located on both sides of the tumor (Colon Cancer). Following a colon resection, the tumor is examined by a pathologist who will determine how far the tumor has penetrated through the intestinal wall, which is referred to as staging the cancer, this will determine if lymph nodes were involved, and if the tumor reached the edge of the surgical margins. To prevent recurrence of the disease and to control and contain any remaining cancer cells, most patients receive chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy from three to six months following surgery. Other techniques that can be considered are freezing tumors (cryosurgery) or burning them away with microwaves
...ozzi E, Biffoni M, Todaro M, Peschle C, et al. Identification and expansion of human colon-cancer-initiating cells. Nature. 2007;445(7123):111-5.
Cancer is one of the 9 National Health Priority Areas (NHPA), areas which account for a significant portion of the burden of disease, but have sizeable potential for improvement. In Australia, CRC is the second most common cancer, after prostate (in men) and breast cancer (in women) (AIHW, Cancer incidence projections). The incidence has gradually increased (by 13% in males from 1982-2007) (AIHW, Cancer in Australia an overview). This is compounded by the ageing population and population growth, with 14,860 new cases in 2010 (http://www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/types-of-cancer/bowel-cancer). This graph demonstrates this upward trend ((AIHW, Cancer incidence projections):
Colorectal cancer, or CRC, affects African American men and women more than Caucasians, at a rate 20% higher. This is concerning when faced with the mortality rates among African Americans, 28% higher for women and 14% higher for men than for Whites. African Americans are also more likely to be in later stages of the disease when diagnosed. There is a need to study and evaluate why these factors exist, as proper screening and early diagnosis can severely impact survival rates for CRC. One study attempts to find the solution through testing, however, this study slightly discredits itself along the way.
Surgery is the oldest type of treatment for cancer. In its earlier use, surgery was not as successful as it is today. This was due to the difficulties involved with the anesthesias, excessive blood loss, respiratory distress, and a number of other complications. Tumors were removed, but metastases had formed, and the cancer returned quickly. In modern day surgery, namely laser surgery, these difficulties do not occur as readily. There are four basic ways to use surgery. One way is a diagnostic biopsy. This is a technique that involves removing part of the tumor, in order to test for malignancy. Another technique is surgery that removes the primary tumor. A third technique is removal of lymphatic tumors and metastases, which can help reduce the recurrence of cancer. The fourth technique is a combination of surgeries to detect and treat a malignant or benign tissue mass (1).
Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women, responsible for more than 57,000 deaths in 2001 alone. Colon polyps, which can lead to colon cancer, are found in about 30-40% of people aged 60 or older- and the risks of polyps increase with age” (Lerche Davis, 2003). Most cases of colon cancer start as small adenomatous polyps. Many people experience no signs or symptoms in the early stages of colon cancer. Some signs and symptoms can include diarrhea, constipation, or any change in consistency of your stool that continues for longer than a month. Any bleeding from the rectum or blood found in the stool can also be a sign of colon cancer. Continuing abdominal pain, cramps, gas, weakness, fatigue and unexplained weight loss could all be signs of rectal cancer in the patient (Staff,
I have chosen to write about the constellation Cancer (The Crab). I chose Cancer because it is one of only a handful of constellations that I am actually able to identify in the night sky. Cancer is one of the twelve Zodiac constellations; people whose birthdays fall between June 21st and July 22nd have Cancer as their sign. Cancer is the Latin word for crab, and despite the fact that the constellation looks more like a lobster then a crab, it is still referred to as a crab. The constellation is visible from the northern hemisphere from late winter to early spring.
...til the area is clear of any sign of the cancer cells. Another method is cryotherapy: the use of liquid nitrogen to freeze the lesion and/or tumor. However, the use of cryotherapy has a rate of recurrence of about two years. The key to curing squamous cell carcinoma is early detection before any metastasis.
I have elected to transcribe my proposal argument on issues regarding cancer chemoprevention. I selected this topic because reasonably minute devotion has been given to cancer chemoprevention research in ethical writings, particularly in relation to the huge quantity of moral studies in cancer treatment exploration. Cancer chemoprevention trials test the ability and care of medicinal agents in averting cancer before its manifestation. I believe that phase III chemoprevention issues can be less prevalent by simply ensuring enhanced communication and etiquette between researchers and investigators.
For cancer patients there are several treatment options. Surgery can remove cancerous tumors, chemotherapy uses drugs for treatment, and radiation therapy. The doctor in charge of the patient’s treatment may also choose to use radiation therapy. “Radiation
Colon cancer develops in the part of the gastrointestinal tract that absorbs water and minerals before waste products are disposed via the rectum. In women endometrial cancer is related to colon cancer. This type of cancer is the second leading cause of death due to cancer in the United States. Over one-hundred fifty thousand individuals will be diagnosed this year and this cancer will probably be responsible for about 47,900 deaths in 1999 (http://www.cancer.org). Most colon cancers are adenocarcinomas that develop from the glandular cells. Ninety percent of all colon cancer cases will develop in individuals after 50 years of age. Ninety percent of all tumors arise from polyps that are commonly found in people older than 50. Prevention includes regular exercise and a diet high in fiber. The most important risk factor is age. Medical screening includes a yearly blood occult test after age 50 and a colonoscopy every 3 years after age 50. Regular screening detects polyps that have become precancerous. If regular screening is not done, the cancer is not detected until blood is found in the...
If you notice any of these signs of colon cancer, such as blood in your stool, make an appointment with your doctor. Talk to your doctor about when you should begin screening for colon cancer. Guidelines generally recommend colon cancer screenings begin at age 50. Many doctors recommend more frequent or earlier screening if you have other risk factors, such as a family history of the disease.
Colorectal cancers are thought to develop slowly over a period of several years. Before a true cancer develops, there usually are precancerous changes in the lining of the colon or rectum. These changes might be dysplasia or adenomatous polyps. A polyp is a growth of tissue into the center of the colon or rectum. Some types of polyps (hyperplastic polyps and inflammatory polyps) are not precancerous. However, having adenomatous polyps, also known as adenomas, does increase a person’s risk of developing cancer, especially if there are many polyps or they are large.
Cancer develops when cells in a part of the body begin to grow out of
Cancer is a disease that affects human somatic cells. It causes the cells to divide uncontrollably and form masses known as tumors. There are two different types of cancer tumors. Some tumors are benign and other tumors are malignant. Benign tumors look similar to the tissues that they came from and develop slowly. The tumor remains in the same area that the tumor originated in. Malignant tumors are formed from cells that do not resemble the tissue that they came from. They vary in shape and size. This enables pieces of the tumor to break off and spread to other places in the body. Over the past few decades cancer has become a very prominent disease. There are many different types of cancer and many different causes for the the disease. Most cancers are because of a genetic mutation. The most common type occur when a cell is dividing. Proto-oncogenes, which are alleles in a normal cells, mutate to form oncogenes. These oncogenes cause cancer because they do not allow the cells to self destruct or become epistatic. There have been several research projects which have been testing epistatis.
My grandfather on my mum’s side died of colon cancer, colon cancer is where the body extracts water and salt from solid wastes. Colon cancer happens when out of control cell growth occurs in the large intestine. Colon cancer can be caused through genetics; a genetic predisposition that can be inherited from family members, but most colon cancer occur in people without a family health history.