Signs of colon cancer that you must not ignore
Colon cancer, medically known as "colorectal cancer", is one of the most common malignant diseases, and the most common causes and symptoms are as follows.
What are the causes of colon cancer?
Colorectal cancer is a tumor that develops inside the colon because of polyps. These are benign tumors that form on the lining of the colon and can even turn into cancerous lesions. Polyps must be extracted to prevent their development that can lead to colon cancer. In addition, the surrounding tissue may also be affected, and cancer cells may become detached from the primary tumor and create metastases in other parts of the body.
On the other hand, there are risk factors that can trigger the development of colon cancer:
- Heredity
- Family history
- Crohn's disease
- Frequent inflammations of the colon.
- An unhealthy lifestyle
- The lack of exercises
- Overweight and obesity
- Alcohol consumption and smoking
Remember that diabetes can increase the risk of colon cancer by 40%. Women who have already had ovarian cancer, uterine cancer or breast cancer are more likely to develop colon cancer. Note that colon cancer may reoccur in people who have had this type of cancer before the age of 60.
The precursor symptoms of colon cancer
Unfortunately, the precursor symptoms of colon cancer are undetectable in its early stages. Indeed, they do not appear until after several years, which is why it is highly recommended for people over 50 years of age to carry out regular screening for colon cancer.
In advanced stages of the disease, symptoms vary depending on the location of the tumor. Generally, frequent diarrhea, chronic constipation, blood in the stools, anemia and stomach cramps are the most common symptoms of colon cancer. Symptoms may also be accompanied by weight loss, vomiting, loss of appetite or feeling tired and constant exhaustion. When colon cancer reaches very advanced stages, the chances of cure and treatment become very low.
To know that this type of cancer can occur in all parts of the colon: it develops in the rectum (especially in humans), in the central part of the colon (especially in women) and in the junction with the small intestine.
Although people over the age of 50 are more susceptible to this type of cancer, young people are also exposed to colon cancer.
How to diagnose colon cancer?
If there are signs of colon cancer in a patient, a comprehensive medical check is needed to check for symptoms and risk factors, and to know the family history.
The physical examination includes a sharp examination of the abdomen to detect masses or bulky organs. A rectal examination (ERD) and an occult blood test are also performed.
The doctor will also require a complete blood count to see if the patient has anemia (low amount of red blood cells), which is common in people with colon cancer because of ongoing bleeding from the tumor. Hepatic enzymes should also be checked to assess the patient's liver function, as colon cancer can spread to the liver.
If the symptoms or results of physical tests or blood tests indicate colon cancer, the doctor may require other tests, such as colonoscopy, CT scan, ultrasound or MRI.
The prognosis and treatment of colon cancer
Detected at an early stage, colon cancer can be completely curable through the extraction of the tumor. In this case, the prognosis for successful treatment is very good. However, if the colon cancer cells are spread around the lymph nodes, surgery is not enough, and will be accompanied by chemotherapy, immunotherapy or radiation therapy. In addition, each of these treatments can cause side effects.
Surgery causes pain (short-term) and irritation of the skin around the operated area, as well as temporary constipation or diarrhea. While radiotherapy may cause dizziness, changes in the skin exposed to treatment, loss of appetite, diarrhea, nausea and bleeding from the rectum. On the other hand, immunotherapy causes tremors, weakness, nausea and can also increase body temperature. Finally, chemotherapy has the most serious side effects (destruction of healthy cells in the body), as well as nausea, diarrhea, dizziness and sores in the mouth, hair loss, infection and bleeding.
The success of treatment for colon cancer depends primarily on the stage of the disease. Indeed, this cancer is completely curable in the early stages, but when the tumor grows and the disease arrives at a very advanced stage, it becomes difficult to stop it.
Unlike anti-cancer treatments and drugs with many side effects, natural remedies can be used at each stage to relieve the symptoms of colon cancer and prevent it.
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