Cancer of the Colon & Rectum

 

Colon cancer is seen mostly in developed countries. However, in the recent past the incidence has increased in India. Doctors have concluded that increasing consumption of western style food with less fiber may be one key contributing factor. In India colon and rectal cancers are seen in relatively young patients compared to the western population.

 

Characteristics

 

• Colon cancer is the cancer of large intestine (colon), the lower part of our digestive system

• Rectal cancer is cancer of the last 6 inches of the colon

• Most cases of colon cancer begin as small, non cancerous (benign) clumps of cells called ‘adenomatous polyps.’ Over time some of these polyps become colon cancers

 

Causes & Risk Factors

 

• Presence of polyps 9as small, non-cancerous (benign) clumps of cells) in the colon

• A diet rich in fat and starch without fiber

• Sedentary life style

• Smoking and alcohol consumption

• A family history of colon polyps

• A history of inflammatory bowel disease (two diseases Ulcerative Colitis & Crohn’s disease).

 

Signs & Symptoms

 

As with other cancers, the early symptoms are quite vague. However, the following signs and symptoms are quite common:

 

• A change in your bowel habits, including diarrhea or a change in the consistency of stool for more than a couple   of weeks

• Rectal bleeding or blood in stool

• Persistent abdominal discomfort, such as cramps, gas or pain,

• Abdominal pain with a bowel movement

• A feeling that bowel doesn’t empty completely

• Unexplained weight loss and fatigue

 

Diagnosis

 

• A blood test called ‘fecal occult’ blood test, which identifies hidden blood in the stool

• Followed by visualization of colon through a procedure known as colonoscopy

• Other tests including biopsy, where a piece of suspected tissue is taken for examination, may follow

 

Management

 

• The management plan is chalked out once the disease is identified and staged

• Treatment plan may include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation depending on the stage of disease