Colon cancer originates from the large intestine; The last six inches of the large intestine is known as the "rectum." Cancers at these sites are called "colorectal cancer."

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Colon cancer usually develops over several years, and typically begins as an abnormal growth on the inner lining of the colon; this is known as a polyp. Some polyps eventually develop into cancer.

 

Symptoms for colon cancer

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Early-stage colon cancer does not cause signs or symptoms, so regular screening is recommended depending on age, medical history, and other risk factors.

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There are, however, some signs of colon cancer that should not be ignored, such as the following:

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-Rectal bleeding or blood in the stool.

-Changes in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation or very thin stools that persist for several days.

-Unexplained abdominal pain or cramps that last more than a few days.

-Persistence of urgency to defecate without being able to carry it out.

-Fatigue and weakness without other explanation.

-Unintentional weight loss.

-Diagnosis of anemia.

 

These symptoms usually do not mean that you have colon cancer, what should be done is to contact a specialist in case these symptoms last longer than is usually expected.

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If you're over 50 and haven't been screened for colon cancer, it's particularly important that you don't ignore symptoms. The typical age for colon cancer is 50, but recently there has been a troubling increase in this type of cancer in patients in their twenties and thirties who have no history of risk factors.

 

Risk factors for colon cancer

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-Age: the older you are, the higher the risk of colon cancer.

-Diets rich in animal fats and red meat.

-Use of alcohol of more than two drinks a day in men and one in women.

-Personal history of polyps, or inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease or Ulcerative Colitis.

-Family history of colon cancer, or cancers related to colon cancer such as Lynch syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis.

-Genetic causes: Between 5 and 10 percent of colon cancer is due to genetic causes.
 

Colon Cancer Screening

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Screening by colonoscopy is recommended from the age of 50, if there are no risk factors. If you present more risk factors, you should discuss with your doctor from what age and how often to do the scrutiny.

 

Diagnosis for colon cancer

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If colon cancer is suspected, a specialist will do a colonoscopy. This is a study in which a small camera is inserted and a tissue sample is taken in case a polyp or some other type of suspicious lesion is identified.

 

If colon cancer is confirmed, a computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging is subsequently performed; this to assess whether there is a tumor in other organs.

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Types for colon cancer

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The vast majority of colon cancers are of the adenocarcinoma type. This is a cancer of the cells that are found lining the surface of the colon.

 

Other less common types of colon cancer include: carcinoids (hormone-producing tumors), gastrointestinal stromal tumors (a type of soft tissue sarcoma), and lymphomas (a type of cancer of the immune system that normally arises from the lymph nodes, but can develop in the colon).

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Stages of colon cancer

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The stages determine how extensive a cancer is and if it has "spread" to other organs.

There are five stages of colon cancer:

 

-Stage 0: it is a very early cancer that is found in the innermost lining of the colon.

-Stage I: The tumor has spread beyond the innermost lining, but remains in the colon and has not spread to the lymph nodes (small structures that belong to our defense system).

-Stage II: The cancer spreads through the outermost layer that lines the colon, but has not spread to the lymph nodes.

-Stage III: The cancer has broken out of the layers of the colon or has gone to the lymph nodes.

-Stage IV: The cancer has spread to other parts of the body, such as the liver or lungs. This is known as metastatic cancer. The cancer may be in very distant lymph nodes and be considered stage IV.

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Treatment for colon cancer

 

If you are diagnosed with colon cancer, treatment options should be discussed with your specialist. Ask about the pros and cons of each option, their potential side effects, and how effective a given treatment might be.

 

The mainstay in the treatment of colon cancer is surgery. In this surgery, the segment of the colon that has the tumor is removed along with a few centimeters of healthy tissue, as well as the lymph nodes that belong to that segment of the colon. This type of treatment is called a "colectomy."

 

Chemotherapy can also be used, both to shrink tumors that appear very large at first, and to decrease the chance that the cancer will come back after a patient has been operated on. This decision is made by a team of several expert cancer specialists.

Radiation therapy is also usually used to "shrink" tumors before they are operated on, as well as in cases where the cancer is very advanced and the patient cannot be operated on, radiation is given along with chemotherapy.

 

What is done when colon cancer is initially found in other distant organs?

There are several options to treat cancer in this scenario. Depending on the location and number of tumors in other organs, surgery may be an option. Chemotherapy together with radiotherapy is also a widely used option and, as time goes by and the response to these treatments is evaluated, surgery can be offered in a second stage.

 

How will having colon cancer affect my quality of life?

After news such as having colon cancer, it is expected that there will be many doubts about the quality of life, such as whether going to the bathroom is going to be normal, or if the sexual life is going to be normal. We will take care of resolving those doubts and, more importantly, we will make sure that this whole process maintains your quality of life as best as possible.