colon cancer symptom

colon cancer sign and symptom, colon cancer treatment, colon cancer alternative treatment, colon cancer stage...

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

colon cancer symptom : Recommended Treatments for the Different Stages

Treatment of Stage 0 Colon Cancer

Treatment of Stage 0 colon cancer (carcinoma in situ) may include the following types of surgery:

· Local excision, which is surgery to remove the colon cancer without cutting through the abdominal wall.

· A polypectomy, which is surgery to remove the colon cancer from the bulging piece of tissue.

· Resection/anastomosis, which is surgery that removes the colon cancer by taking out a section of the colon and rejoining the cut ends of the colon. This procedure is done when the cancerous tissue is too large to remove by local excision.

Treatment of Stage I Colon Cancer

Treatment of Stage I colon cancer is usually resection/anastomosis (removal of colon cancer by joining the cut ends of the colon) because the cancerous tissue is usually too large at this stage to be removed by local excision.

Treatment of Stage II Colon Cancer

Treatment of Stage II colon cancer may include the following:

· Resection/anastomosis

· Clinical trials of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or biological therapy after surgery

Treatment of Stage III Colon Cancer

Treatment of Stage III colon cancer may include the following:

· Resection/anastomosis with or without chemotherapy.

· Clinical trials of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and/or biological therapy after surgery.

Treatment of Stage IV Colon Cancer

Treatment of Stage IV colon cancer may include the following:

· Resection/anastomosis

· Surgery to remove parts of other organs such as the liver, lungs, and ovaries where the cancer may have spread.

· Chemotherapy.

· Clinical trials of chemotherapy or biological therapy.

· Radiation therapy may be offered to some patients as palliative therapy (to relieve symptoms).

Treatment of Recurrent Colon Cancer or Cancerous Cells

Treatment of recurrent colon cancer depends on where the cancer has recurred (come back) and the general health of the patient. Treatment for recurrent colon cancer may include the following:

· Surgery to remove cancer that may have spread to the liver, lungs, or ovaries.

· Surgery to remove cancer cells that have recurred in the colon.

· Radiation therapy as palliative therapy.

· Chemotherapy as palliative therapy.

· Clinical trials of biological therapy or chemotherapy.

by Theodore Frazer

colon cancer symptom : Colon Surgery

Colon Surgery: The goal of colon surgery is to eliminate the colon cancer by removing a section of the colon that is infected. This procedure is also referred to as a colon resection.

Preparing for colon surgery

The night before a colon resection is a busy and important time. The colon must be cleansed with a powerful laxative and antibiotics to flush out any food remnants to reduce the risk of infection during and after the surgery. In addition, only clear liquids should be consumed the night before and you should not consume anything after midnight; this keeps the colon free of stool.

Before colon surgery

Before colon surgery takes place you will go through a series of routine tests, such as blood work and EKG and/or chest X-rays. You will be completely asleep (general anesthesia) for the colon surgery.

The procedure

Depending on the amount of colon that needs to be removed, the amount of previous scarring, and the technique used the procedure will typically last from 2 to 4 hours.

After making an incision in the abdomen, usually down the middle, the surgeon will isolate the diseased portion of the colon from the surrounding organs and remove it. Once the infected section is removed, the surgeon will reconnect the colon with sutures or with a stapling device. This procedure is called anastomosis or resection and is one of the most common procedures used to remove colon cancer.

If necessary a colostomy may be constructed to help eliminate waste products while the colon is healing. A colostomy is an incision (cut) into the colon (large intestine) to create an artificial opening or "stoma" to the exterior of the abdomen. This opening serves as a substitute anus. Bowel movements fall into a collection pouch. Our ostomy nursing staff will teach you skin care and how to change the bag.

After colon surgery

You may have a thin plastic tube in your nose that goes down to your stomach. The purpose is to remove any air or fluid that would make you uncomfortable or sick. It will be removed as soon as your bowels start working, usually 4-5 days after surgery. Your incision will usually have metal clips, or staples, on the skin surface and your abdomen may be slightly bruised and swollen.

By Theodore Frazer

colon cancer symptom : A Closer Look At Colon Cancer

Cell multiplication goes along with the development of the human body. Once the complete development is achieved, this process stops. By then, new cells are only created as the need for them arises. But if this process continues at an abnormal rate, cancer is likely to develop. This cancer cells will invade neighboring tissues. If this condition happens in the intestinal lining, a disease termed as colorectal cancer begins, betterly known as colon cancer. Colorectal cancers normally start as benign polyps that soon develop into cancers.

Fortunately, colon cancer is easily detected and has great potentials for removal if diagnosed at an early stage. Surgical treatments can be enforced even until the cancer spreads to the lymph nodes. And the success of undergoing chemotherapy to cure the colon cancer is impressive. Though this is true, the fact that colon cancer stands as the second most prevalent cancer remains to be the cause of higher death rates among cancer victims. The earlier estimate for the survival rate of a colon cancer victim is around ninety percent and higher. But this figure radically changed after the year 2004.

People with greater risks of developing the colon cancer

Western societies are more prone to the dangers brought about by the colon cancer. The reason pointed out for this condition is that Western people have diets lacking in the necessary nutrients needed by the body and the healthy foods that are normally eaten in other parts of the world. Diets in highly industrialized sections of the West are much worse. Foods typically come short with the components found in fruits, vegetables and proteins.

Additionally, smokers who regularly smoke around 20 cigarettes or more on a daily basis are found to have 250% possibility of developing the colon cancer. Drinkers have 87% more chance of acquiring the disease as opposed with nondrinkers. And if these two ill practices are combined then the likelihood of developing polyps rises to 400%.

Men are found to have greater risks in developing colon cancer than that of the female population. Colored women, mainly black, have greater likelihood of developing the disease. And drinkers, smokers, obese and sedentary individual have potential risks for polyps growth.

Sadly, colon cancer is hereditary. If a person in the family is found to carry the condition, then the first-degree relatives may have colon polyps as well.

Prevention

There are strong evidences that high calcium contents in a person's body reduce the risk against the colon cancer. Again, another good sources of prevention against the disease are the vegetables. The phytochemicals found in certain vegetables are noted to have great effects against the development of the polyps. Daily exercises also go a long way in controlling the risk for the cancer.

Aspirin is known to reduce the potentiality of the growth of the colon polyps and the colon cancers as well as the cancer of the esophagus and the stomach. A regular 325 mg of daily aspirin intake may be sufficient to outbalance a person's risk. Though it must be noted that aspirin may cause intestinal bleeding and ulcer. Lower incidence of colon cancer is also attributed to the daily consumption of 1500 mg of Calcium.

The future of the colon cancer is yet to be defined. Yet the current trend of developing the disease is not yet as aggravated as with other deadly diseases and luckily enough, there are great improvements towards earlier diagnosis of the condition. Like with the majority of health condition, the rule of thumb continues to be- stay healthy and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

by Robert Thatcher

Thursday, August 24, 2006

colon cancer symptom : Treatment Options for Colorectal Cancer

The treatment depends on the staging of the cancer. When colorectal cancer is caught at early stages (with little spread) it can be curable. However when it is detected at later stages (when distant [[metastasis|metastases]] are present) it is less likely to be curable.

Surgery remains the primary treatment while chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy may be recommended depending on the individual patient's staging and other medical factors.

Surgery

Surgical treatment is by far the most likely to result in a cure of colon cancer if the tumor is localized. Very early cancer that develops within a polyp can often be cured by removing the polyp at the time of colonoscopy. More advanced cancers typically require surgical removal of the section of colon containing the tumor leaving sufficient margins to reduce likelihood of re-growth. If possible, the remaining parts of colon are anastomosed together to create a functioning colon. In cases when anastomosis is not possible, a stoma (artificial orifice) is created. While surgery is not usually offered if significant metastasis is present, surgical removal of isolated liver metastases is common. Improved chemotherapy has increased the number of patients who are offered surgical removal of isolated liver metastases.

Laparoscopic assist resection of the colon for tumour can reduce the size of painful incision and minimize the risk of infection. As with any surgical procedure, colorectal surgery can in rare cases result in complications. These may include infection, abscess, fistula or bowel obstruction.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is used to reduce the likelihood of metastasis developing, shrink tumour size, or slow tumor growth. Chemotherapy is often applied after surgery (adjuvant), before surgery (neo-adjuvant), or as the primary therapy if surgery is not indicated (palliative). The treatments listed here have been shown in clinical trials to improve survival and/or reduce mortality and have been approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration. Adjuvant (after surgery) chemotherapy. One regimen involves the combination of infusional 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) Leucovorin (LV) Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin®) Capecitabine (Xeloda®)

Chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Commonly used first line regimens involve the combination of infusional 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) with bevacizumab or infusional 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) with bevacizumab 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) Leucovorin Irinotecan Oxaliplatin Bevacizumab Cetuximab

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is used to kill tumor tissue before or after surgery or when surgery is not indicated. Sometimes chemotherapy agents are used to increase the effectiveness of radiation by sensitizing tumor cells if present. Radiotherapy is not used routinely in colorectal cancer, as it could lead to radiation enteritis, and is difficult to target specific portions of the colon, but may be used on metastatic tumor deposits if they compress vital structures and/or cause pain. There may be a role for post-operative adjuvant radiation in the case where a tumor perforates the colon as judged by the surgeon or the pathologist. However, as the area of the prior tumor site can be difficult (if not impossible) to ascertain by imaging, surgical clips need to be left in the colon to direct the radiotherapist to the area of risk.

Immunotherapy

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is gaining prominence as a complementary theraputic agent in the treatment of colorectal cancer. A review of results from recent clinical trials is given in Mosolits et al.

Support Therapies

Cancer diagnosis very often results in an enormous change in the patient's psychological wellbeing. Various support resources are available from, hospitals and other agencies which provide counseling, social service support, cancer support groups, and other services. These services help to mitigate some of the difficulties of integrating a patient's medical complications into other parts of their life.

by William Ransom

colon cancer symptom : Coping With Colon Cancer

Patients who receive a diagnosis of colon cancer quickly become depressed and have a lot of unanswered questions about their future. The most important thing for them to realize is that they are not alone and that their friends and family are there to provide love and support.

When dealing with any type of illness, including colon cancer, family and friends are the first thought of a positive support system. Understandably, these same people may be experiencing a lot of emotional pain and anxiety themselves, which stems from seeing their loved on suffering from an illness. If, for these reasons, a cancer patient cannot find support at home, it’s a good idea to join a local support group or become involved in an activity that they enjoy. If their health allows it, a cancer patient should continue living life and enjoying every day as possible. While quality of life is very important, making sure to take time out for rest is one of the key points for successful recovery from any illness.

Immediately following diagnosis, a colon cancer patient may want to visit their local library or research the internet for educational resources, of which there are plenty available. This information will help the patient to become better informed and allow them to be more involved with their treatment. It’s important to know, and understand, what is happening to the body during an illness, treatments and recovery. It is equally recommended that a patient remain involved in his/her care for as long as possible. This can be achieved by conducting research, asking the physician a lot of questions and preparing for best and worst case scenarios.

Depending on how advanced a cancer patient’s illness is, several treatment options are available. If a patient decides to move forward with treatment, he/she may also wish to consult another physician for a second opinion in order to confirm the diagnosis and recommended treatment. The best outcome is to eliminate the cancer completely but, if that is not possible, the doctor may be able to stop the cancer from spreading or to relieve the patient‘s symptoms and discomfort.

Assuming the patient’s health will allow it, and he/she wishes to pursue remedies, the main method of treatment is surgery. Depending on the location and size of the cancer, a doctor may be able to remove all or part of the colon. If a polyp is the only cancer that is known to be present, it may be all that needs removing. In some cases of colon cancer, the patient must wear a permanent colostomy following surgery. This occurs if the cancer is so advanced that it forces the doctor to remove the entire colon.

Another common approach to treating colon cancer is for the patient to begin a series of chemotherapy treatments. This process involves the intake of medicines to help fight the cancer cells, which can either be taken orally or delivered through the patient’s veins. This option is often most useful to rid the patient of any lingering cancer cells following surgery. In addition, chemotherapy may be used to control the growth of cancer, relieve symptoms and prolong life. Radiation therapy, often used in conjunction with chemotherapy to help combat various other cancers, is not a treatment used to help colon cancer patients after surgery.

This article should not be construed as professional medical advice. If you, or someone that you know, is concerned about the possibility of cancer, you should seek medical attention immediately. A medical doctor can discuss various options, prevention and treatment possibilities should the presence of cancer be detected. A series of tests may be conducted in order to confirm, or rule out, any such diagnosis and can only be done by a medical doctor.

Dr. Logan Pallas

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

colon cancer symptom : Are there any new developments in treating my disease?

New drugs are being developed that enhance the tumor-killing ability of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. These drugs can work in a variety of ways but often enhance the normal cell-killing processes within the body.

Drugs are being developed to stop angiogenesis—that is, the formation of new blood vessels that nourish the cancerous tumor. This can produce tumor shrinkage or prevent disease spread.

Immunotherapy enhances the body's immune system and increases the likelihood that the colorectal cancer cells will be killed.

Monoclonal antibodies are proteins produced in a laboratory that can identify a cancer cell for destruction or prevent the tumor cell from dividing.

Vaccines are being developed that may cause the body to produce more antibodies to kill cancer cells.

Gene therapy involves altering genetic material. Either a new gene is introduced to enhance the ability of the body to kill cancer cells or a gene is administered directly to the cancer cells, causing them to die. Getting the gene to the right cells in the body is a major challenge. The treatment is still experimental and in its early stages of development.

Copyright © 2006 Radiological Society of North America, Inc. (RSNA)

colon cancer symptom : Are there any new developments in treating my disease?

New drugs are being developed that enhance the tumor-killing ability of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. These drugs can work in a variety of ways but often enhance the normal cell-killing processes within the body.

Drugs are being developed to stop angiogenesis—that is, the formation of new blood vessels that nourish the cancerous tumor. This can produce tumor shrinkage or prevent disease spread.

Immunotherapy enhances the body's immune system and increases the likelihood that the colorectal cancer cells will be killed.

Monoclonal antibodies are proteins produced in a laboratory that can identify a cancer cell for destruction or prevent the tumor cell from dividing.

Vaccines are being developed that may cause the body to produce more antibodies to kill cancer cells.

Gene therapy involves altering genetic material. Either a new gene is introduced to enhance the ability of the body to kill cancer cells or a gene is administered directly to the cancer cells, causing them to die. Getting the gene to the right cells in the body is a major challenge. The treatment is still experimental and in its early stages of development.

Copyright © 2006 Radiological Society of North America, Inc. (RSNA)

colon cancer symptom : What happens during radiation therapy?

Radiation is a special kind of energy carried by waves or a stream of particles. When radiation is used at high doses—much higher than the amount used to obtain x-ray images—it can destroy abnormal cells that cause cancer. It does this by damaging the cell's DNA, which eventually causes the cell to die.

Because of the importance of treating the cancer but sparing healthy tissue, you will visit the medical center a few times before actual therapy for treatment planning and simulation. Correct patient positions for radiation exposure are determined for accurate, effective therapeutic results. Your skin may be marked with permanent ink. Custom-made lead shields may be constructed to protect your healthy organs from the radiation, or the radiation fields may be shaped for your situation with special blocks inside the radiation machine.

What are possible side effects of radiation therapy?
Complications of radiation therapy may include diarrhea or frequent bowel movements, fatigue, appetite loss, and redness of the skin where external x-rays enter the body. Generally, side effects stop gradually once treatment is discontinued, but often bowel function remains altered from what it was before the disease started.

What kind of treatment follow-up should I expect?
Colorectal cancer can recur, or reappear, in a patient previously treated for the disease. Because patients can sometimes be cured after their tumor recurs, follow-up care is critically important.

Physical examination. Patients will undergo frequent physical examinations from a few weeks to many years after treatment, especially if side effects from the treatment do not subside or new symptoms develop. Symptoms of pain, unexplained weight loss, or bleeding can occur with tumor recurrence.
Blood tests. Follow-up evaluation usually includes periodic blood tests. An abnormal result may indicate that the colorectal cancer has recurred.
Colonoscopy. Approximately one year after treatment for colorectal cancer, patients usually undergo a colonoscopy, or examination of the colon with a tiny camera at the end of a hollow, flexible tube to detect recurrence or development of new benign or malignant masses. If findings from this examination are normal, it should be repeated three years later, then every five years after that.
Imaging. Also during follow-up examinations, a patient may undergo computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The images obtained by using these devices can help determine treatment response and detect disease spread. Occasionally, a specialized screening procedure, called positron emission tomography (PET), can also be used to detect disease spread, but this is normally used only when other symptoms are present.

Copyright © 2006 Radiological Society of North America, Inc. (RSNA)

colon cancer symptom : Treatment options overview

Treatment options for colorectal cancer depend on the stage of the tumor—that is, how far it has spread or how deeply it is affecting the intestinal wall and other tissues. Treatment is also determined by the patient's age, medical history, overall health, and tolerance for specific medications and therapies.

Standard options include:

Partial colectomy (also called partial bowel resection)—The tumor and normal tissue on either side of the diseased area in the colon are removed. The surgeon then reconnects the healthy colon. Sometimes the physician may have to create a temporary colostomy, or an opening for solid waste from the bowel to a special bag a patient wears outside the body, until the healthy tissue has healed. At times, the colostomy is permanent.
Laparoscopic surgery or keyhole surgery—Small tube-like instruments and an extremely small camera are inserted into the abdomen through incisions made in the abdominal wall. The surgeon sees what the camera sees on a television-type screen and can cut out a large section of the bowel and adjacent tissue, called the mesentery.
Radiation therapy—High-energy radiation is used to kill cancer cells. Radiation may be used in conjunction with surgery as definitive therapy, or may be used to reduce, or palliate, the symptoms of colorectal cancer such as pain, bleeding, or blockage. Radiation therapy is usually delivered as external-beam radiation. Radiation comes from outside the patient's body and is directed onto the cancer and surrounding tissues. On rare occasions, these tumors can be treated by placing small pellets of radioactive material directly in or on the cancerous area, a treatment called brachytherapy. For advanced tumors, radiation can be delivered during surgery, a procedure referred to as intraoperative radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy—Drugs are given intravenously or orally to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy is often given to decrease the chance of the tumor returning elsewhere in the body. Like radiation therapy, chemotherapy can ease disease symptoms and increase length of survival for patients with tumors that have spread. It is usually given over time and alternated with periods of no treatment. This alleviates potential side effects, such as abnormal blood-cell counts, fatigue, diarrhea, mouth sores, and a compromised immune system.
How can I choose from among the options?
You need to rely on the information provided by the team of physicians responsible for your care. Generally, patients undergo a specific therapy because a cancer specialist, after analyzing all available data and the condition of the patient, has decided it is the best way to treat the cancer.

If you are to undergo radiation therapy, a radiation oncologist will determine how much radiation is needed, to which areas of the body it should be delivered, and how many doses of radiation will be necessary.

If I choose surgery, will radiation treatment still be required?
Radiation may be used to shrink a tumor before surgical removal or destroy any remaining cancer cells after removal.

How effective is modern radiation treatment of colorectal cancer?
Surgery remains the most effective treatment for colorectal cancer. Radiation therapy is most effective as additional or adjuvant therapy either before or after surgery. It reduces the chance of cancer spread or recurrence.

Radiation is not normally used as the only, or definitive, treatment for colorectal cancer. Radiation is often used in conjunction with chemotherapy treatments that are given at the same time as the radiation to help the radiation work better. These chemotherapy treatments may be given intravenously or by mouth.

Copyright © 2006 Radiological Society of North America, Inc. (RSNA)

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

colon cancer symptom : How Constipation Creates Colon Cancer

In 1911 Dr. Alexis Carrel received the Nobel Prize for growing live tissue cells. He discovered that removing their digestive wastes every day, these cells could live indefinitely. When he did not remove their wastes for three days they become weak and unhealthy.

This simple experiment showed that whatever waste we create whether it’s in our lymph liquid, our blood, or in the colon, it must be removed daily if we are to have excellent health.

Looking at colon waste, we should be having a bowel movement every day for every meal we eat. Most of us have only one or none each day. Many doctors say it’s ok if you only have one bowel movement every two days. Yes, it’s ok if you want to create colon cancer.

Studies have shown that if you have a bowel movement every 3 – 4 days, you are more at risk for having a heart attack, colon cancer, hemorrhoids, IBS, and many other illnesses.

As in 1911, Dr. Alexis showed cells become weak and die if they remain in their own metabolic waste for over three days or longer. This is exactly the condition called constipation.

Fecal matter that remains stagnant in the colon gives rise to bacteria that create colon wall irritations and inflammation. This then can lead to colon cancer.

And another thing, if you continue to have constipation, then this bacteria and toxic waste tend to slip into the small intestine where they can then get into your blood stream. There, this toxic matter goes all over the body creating damage and excess inflammation.

Here’s how to make sure your fecal matter does not become stagnant in your colon and produces colon cancer.

Just by increasing the amount of fiber you eat daily by 3 / 4 ounce, you can dramatically change your risk of getting colon cancer and many other colon diseases. If you are like most people, you eat only 1 / 4 ounce of fiber. In terms of grams, you are likely eating 8 grams. Raise the amount of fiber you eat by 20 grams to 28 grams and reduce your likelihood of getting colon cancer.

Here’s what fiber does in your colon:

* Increase the size of your stools

* Feeds your good bacteria and keeps them healthy and plentiful

* Traps carcinogens so they don’t collect on your colon wall

* Reduces the amount of bile salts that are changed to carcinogens by bad bacteria

* Keeps you pH slightly acidic and in favor of good bacteria

* Reduces stagnation of fecal matter in colon – reduces constipation

• Traps water so stools are not hard

Here’s how fiber works. By keeping your stools large, they move quicker in your colon and don’t allow carcinogens to stay in contact with your colon wall for very long.

Large fiber stools brush along the colon walls keeping them clean and causing the nerves to activate peristaltic action.

Fiber provides food for the good bacteria and makes them stronger than the bad bacterial. This limits the carcinogen producing activities of the bad bacteria. When the good bacteria exceed the bad bacteria, the colon pH is slightly acidic and this makes your colon work better - less constipation and more nerve sensitivity

When your stools have more water, they are softer and move easily through the colon. Hard stools are hard to move through the colon. Since the colon sucks water out of the stool to recirculate it into the blood, less toxic material is pull out of a fecal bulk if it has plenty of water.

Add 3 / 4 ounce of fiber to your daily diet and avoid the misery and devastation that colon cancer brings to you and your family.

by Rudy Silva

colon cancer symptom : Coping With Colon Cancer

Patients who receive a diagnosis of colon cancer quickly become depressed and have a lot of unanswered questions about their future. The most important thing for them to realize is that they are not alone and that their friends and family are there to provide love and support.

When dealing with any type of illness, including colon cancer, family and friends are the first thought of a positive support system. Understandably, these same people may be experiencing a lot of emotional pain and anxiety themselves, which stems from seeing their loved on suffering from an illness. If, for these reasons, a cancer patient cannot find support at home, it’s a good idea to join a local support group or become involved in an activity that they enjoy. If their health allows it, a cancer patient should continue living life and enjoying every day as possible. While quality of life is very important, making sure to take time out for rest is one of the key points for successful recovery from any illness.

Immediately following diagnosis, a colon cancer patient may want to visit their local library or research the internet for educational resources, of which there are plenty available. This information will help the patient to become better informed and allow them to be more involved with their treatment. It’s important to know, and understand, what is happening to the body during an illness, treatments and recovery. It is equally recommended that a patient remain involved in his/her care for as long as possible. This can be achieved by conducting research, asking the physician a lot of questions and preparing for best and worst case scenarios.

Depending on how advanced a cancer patient’s illness is, several treatment options are available. If a patient decides to move forward with treatment, he/she may also wish to consult another physician for a second opinion in order to confirm the diagnosis and recommended treatment. The best outcome is to eliminate the cancer completely but, if that is not possible, the doctor may be able to stop the cancer from spreading or to relieve the patient‘s symptoms and discomfort.

Assuming the patient’s health will allow it, and he/she wishes to pursue remedies, the main method of treatment is surgery. Depending on the location and size of the cancer, a doctor may be able to remove all or part of the colon. If a polyp is the only cancer that is known to be present, it may be all that needs removing. In some cases of colon cancer, the patient must wear a permanent colostomy following surgery. This occurs if the cancer is so advanced that it forces the doctor to remove the entire colon.

Another common approach to treating colon cancer is for the patient to begin a series of chemotherapy treatments. This process involves the intake of medicines to help fight the cancer cells, which can either be taken orally or delivered through the patient’s veins. This option is often most useful to rid the patient of any lingering cancer cells following surgery. In addition, chemotherapy may be used to control the growth of cancer, relieve symptoms and prolong life. Radiation therapy, often used in conjunction with chemotherapy to help combat various other cancers, is not a treatment used to help colon cancer patients after surgery.

This article should not be construed as professional medical advice. If you, or someone that you know, is concerned about the possibility of cancer, you should seek medical attention immediately. A medical doctor can discuss various options, prevention and treatment possibilities should the presence of cancer be detected. A series of tests may be conducted in order to confirm, or rule out, any such diagnosis and can only be done by a medical doctor.

by Dr. Logan Pallas

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

colon cancer symptom : Two Simple Ideas for Preventing Colon Cancer

Colon cancer starts with colon polyps. Polyps are growths in the inner lining of your colon walls. They are formed when the inner lining is irritated or attacked by fecal matter toxins. When you have colon polyps, you dramatically increase your risk of getting colon cancer.

To prevent getting colon cancer you need to prevent getting polyps. If you have polyps then you need to prevent them from becoming cancerous.

Here are some ideas that you can use in preventing colon cancer whether you have or do not have polyps.

Polyps occur when your fecal matter is toxic and becomes stagnant. When your fecal matter stops moving in your colon, then toxic matter in the fecal matter comes in contact with your colon wall. It is this colon area that becomes irritated and over time weakens. As inflammation sets in and irritation continues, toxins are absorbed into the colon wall and a growth occurs. This growth will continue as long as you continue to have toxic fecal matter and constipation.

Here are two things that can help you from creating and irritating polyps.

First eliminate any form of constipation. You have constipation if you don’t have at least two bowel movements daily when you have three meals a day. Determine how long it takes for your food to pass through your body. A good rule of thumb is, it should take about 24 hours for food to travel from your mouth and out your anus.

After you eat breakfast in the morning, drink 6 – 8 oz of any juice with 2 oz of liquid chlorophyll. You can use 2 oz of red beet juice if you prefer. Then check when you start to see either green or red stools. This is your colon transit time. If it takes more than 24 hours then you need to reduce this time.

Preventing colon cancer requires that fecal matter move through your colon without remaining at one spot for too long.

The second thing you can do to prevent colon cancer is to change your fecal matter toxic level. Two things that make your fecal matter more toxic are undigested food and carcinogenic chemicals.

Since, most processed foods such as breads, packaged foods, cooked foods, processed meats, and pasteurized liquids lack digestive enzymes, your body is unable to digest all of the food that you eat. When undigested food reaches the colon, it is decomposed by bad bacteria and becomes highly toxic.

To correct this toxicity, start eating more raw foods such as fruits and vegetables, which are filled with enzymes. Try ten servings a day. It’s a lot isn’t it? But, that what we need to stop colon cancer or other colon irritations.

Next, read food labels and avoid those foods, as much as possible, which contain excessive preservative, coloring, dyes, fillers, and food stabilizers. There are hundreds of chemicals that are added to your food which help to keep the food from falling apart and decaying. Many of these chemicals are not digested in the small intestine and move into the colon where then make the fecal matter more toxic.

These are two steps that you can start applying for preventing colon cancer. If you have polyps, then these steps will help to keep them in check and reduce your risk of getting colon cancer.

by Rudy Silva

colon cancer symptom : Who Is More Prone To Develop Colorectal Cancer?

The exact reason why colon cancer develops in some persons and not in others is not clear. The incidence of colon cancer is quite varied among different countries and within different ethnic groups inside the same country. Industrialized countries like United States, Canada, UK, Western Europe, Australia and Japan have a much higher incidence of colorectal cancer compared to the less industrialized parts of the world like Asia, Africa, and South America. Colorectal cancer represent over 9 percent of all cancers in men and about 10 percent of all cancers in women world-wide. In industrialized countries the incidence of colorectal cancer can be as high as 12 to 14 of all cancers, and in non-industrialized countries much lower rates of about 7 to 8 percent of all cancers diagnosed may be colorectal cancer.

Excluding skin cancer, colorectal cancer is the third commonest cancer diagnosed in the United States. Each year over 100,000 Americans are diagnosed with colon cancer and over 50 percent of these patients will die from colorectal cancer. Colon cancer incidence is not much different between males and females, however colon cancer is slightly more prevalent in women compared to men (ratio of 1.2:1) but the rectal cancer is more common in males (ratio of 1.7:1).

Even though we do not know the exact cause of development of colorectal cancer, scientists have recognized several factors that can increase the risk of development of colorectal cancer. A risk factor for a disease is any condition that makes a person more likely to develop that diseases. Some of the risk factors like dietary factors are modifiable by the person involved while some other factors like age are un-modifiable. These risk factors may act in combination, and this combination of risk factors may be associated with cumulative increase in the risk of development of colorectal cancer. The simple presence of one or more risk factors does not necessarily mean that someone will develop colorectal cancer. On the other hand absence of all risk factors does not mean that an individual will not develop colorectal cancer, but generally more risk factors you have higher is the chance of developing colorectal cancer. Environmental factors also may be playing a role in the development of colorectal cancer. People who migrate from areas of low risk to areas of the world with higher risk of developing colorectal cancer, they tend to acquire the risk of the country to which they are migrating. This finding suggests the presence of environmental factors causing higher risk of developing colorectal cancer. Changes in dietary factors associated with migration may also be contributing to this increase in risk associated with migration from low risk areas to higher risk areas.

Risk factors for the development of colorectal cancer include the following:

Age over 50 years
Increased fat intake
Large intestinal polyps
Family history of colon cancer
Inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.
Personal history of other cancers
Sedentary habits and lack of exercise
Obesity
Diabetes
Smoking
Alcohol content
Genetic colon cancer syndromes like Familial adenomatous polyposis or Hereditary Non-polyposis Colon Cancer (HNPCC)
Persons who have high risk of colorectal cancer may undergo screening for colorectal cancer with colonoscopy once every 2 to 3 years. Screening colonoscopy is recommended for every one who is 50 years or older. If someone has a higher than average risk of developing colorectal cancer, the screening may be initiated earlier than 50 years.

By Scott William