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Colon cancer, also known as bowel cancer or colorectal cancer or cancer of the bowel, is the cancer of large intestine (lower part of the digestive system). Majority of colon cancer cases start as small and non-cancerous clumps of the cells known as adenomatous. After a certain period of time, these polyps become colon cancers. These are the third most commonly diagnosed cancers in world. They start as a small proliferated, ulcerated lesions or thickenings from the inner most layers of bowel lining. Left untreated they grow in size, extend through the wall to adjacent organs, involve nearby lymph nodes and at latter stages involve the liver and other distant organs, through blood stream, manifesting as different stages of disease progression.
Symptoms
A
change in your bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation or a change in
the consistency of your stool for more than a couple of weeks Rectal bleeding
or blood in your stool Persistent abdominal discomfort, such as cramps, gas or
pain Abdominal pain with a bowel movement A feeling that your bowel doesn’t
empty completely Weakness or fatigue Unexplained weight loss…
Causes
In
general, cancer occurs when healthy cells become altered. Healthy cells grow
and divide in an orderly way to keep your body functioning normally. But
sometimes this growth gets out of control — cells continue dividing even when
new cells aren’t needed. In the colon and rectum, this exaggerated growth may
cause precancerous cells to form in the lining of your intestine…
Risk
factors
Factors
that may increase your risk of colon cancer include : -
Age :
– About 90 percent of people diagnosed with colon cancer are older than 50.
Colon cancer can occur in younger people, but it occurs much less frequently.
A
personal history of colorectal cancer or polyps : – If you’ve already had colon
cancer or adenomatous polyps, you have a greater risk of colon cancer in the
future.
Inflammatory
intestinal conditions : – Long-standing inflammatory diseases of the colon,
such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, can increase your risk of colon
cancer.
Inherited
disorders that affect the colon : – Genetic syndromes passed through
generations of your family can increase your risk of colon cancer. These
syndromes cause only about 5 percent of all colon cancers. One genetic syndrome
called familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is a rare disorder that causes you
to develop thousands of polyps in the lining of your colon and rectum.
When
to seek medical advice
If
you notice any symptoms of colon cancer, such as blood in your stool or a
persistent change in bowel habits, see your doctor as soon as possible. Keep in
mind that colorectal cancer can occur in younger as well as older people. If
you’re at high risk, don’t wait until symptoms appear. See your doctor for
regular screenings.
Talk
to your doctor about when you should begin screening for colon cancer.
Guidelines generally recommend colon cancer screenings begin at age 50. Your
doctor may recommend more frequent or earlier screening if you have other risk
factors, such as a family history of the disease.
- Targeted Therapy : Certain substances and drugs are used by the targeted therapy in order to target particular cancer cells without causing any harm to nearby normal cells. The two types of targeted therapy include :
- Angiogenesis Inhibitors :This helps in stopping the growth of new blood vessels which tumors need to grow.
- Monoclonal Antibodies : These antibodies are prepared in the laboratory with the help of a single type of immune system. Certain substances can be identified by these antibodies that are on the cancer cells or it also indentifies certain normal substances that are helping in the growth of cancer cells. These antibodies then attach themselves with the substances for destroying cancer cells and also prevent them from spreading.
- Surgery :Surgery is the mainstay of treatment and involves in block removal of diseased segment with adequate margins, surrounding tissue and lymph nodes. The names given to such resections are right hemicolectomy, transverse colectomy, left hemicolectomy, sigmoid colectomy, and subtotal colectomy:
- Polypectomy : If the cancer is found in a polyp (a small piece of bulging tissue), the polyp is often removed during a colonoscopy.
- Local excision : If the cancer is found on the inside surface of the rectum and has not spread into the wall of the rectum, the cancer and a small amount of surrounding healthy tissue is removed.
- Resection : If the cancer has spread into the wall of the rectum, the section of the rectum with cancer and nearby healthy tissue is removed. Sometimes the tissue between the rectum and the abdominal wall is also removed. The lymph nodes near the rectum are removed and checked under a microscope for signs of cancer.
- Pelvic exenteration : If the cancer has spread to other organs near the rectum, the lower colon, rectum, and bladder are removed.
- Chemotherapy : Certain types of drugs are used for stopping the growth of cancer cells or for destroying the cancer cells. The injection of these drugs is done into a vein from where they enter the bloodstream and they then travel through the entire body.
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