Colon Cancer

Colon Cancer Symptoms And Treatments

Cancer of the colon can go undetected for some time. If you are showing any symptoms, you have probably developed a cancerous condition. The symptoms of colon cancer vary from patient to patient. They also vary depending on the stage of the cancer and the placement of it within the intestines.

Symptoms

The most common colon cancer symptoms include, but are not limited to:
• Changes in stool consistency for more than two weeks.
• Blood in the stool.
• Persistent pain in the abdomen such as cramps or excessive gas.
• Pain in the abdomen during bowel movements.
• A feeling that, after a bowel movement, your bowels are not emptied entirely.
• Unexplained tiredness or weakness.
• Sudden, unexplained weight loss.

Your symptoms could be any of these listed above. Care should be taken with blood in the stool.Usually, bright red blood is an indication of hemorrhoids or minor abrasions in the anus. Some deep red foods like beets or even red licorice can turn the stool red. Diarrhea remedies and supplemental iron medications can turn stool black, resembling dark blood.

In any case, a change in the color of the stool should always be checked by a physician as it could be an indication of a serious condition. It is best to be safe than sorry in these instances.

Treatments

If you have already been diagnosed with colon cancer, the treatments can vary greatly. In the early stages, cancerous tumors can be removed during a routine office procedure called a colonoscopy. This is not common, however, as the spread of the cancer needs to be carefully scoped out.

Treatments include in-patient removal of the tumor, open surgery to remove the cancerous tissue and possible bowel re-sectioning. The latter is performed as a major surgical procedure.

In extreme cases, radiation therapy and chemotherapy is used to battle and kill cancer cells. This is in hopes of localizing the cancer so it can be totally removed later.

The treatment that is used is dependent upon the following factors:
• What stage the cancer is in.
• If it has reoccurred or is a new cancer.
• The patient's state of health.

It is possible to have cancerous tissue removed during a colonoscopy. Usually this is reserved for benign polyps. However, a tissue sample can be taken and examined for cancer right there. If the cancer has not spread to other body parts or organs (metastasis), this is a possibility.

More often, a surgical procedure is performed whereby the cancerous portions of the intestine/colon are cut away and then reattached (re-sectioned). This procedure has a very high positive prognosis rate and is done routinely in most hospitals.

In its advanced stages, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy is the only recourse. At these stages of colon cancer, it is sadly a matter of extending the lifespan of the patient. Normally, the treatment is done to preserve the patient's quality of life.

Survival rates vary from around 93% for stage 1 colon cancers to 59% for diagnosed cancers occurring in the descending portion of the colon.

These numbers are simply generalities and are not by any means a definitive statistic. The survival rate of each patient is different.

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