What Do You Know About Colorectal Cancer?
Do you know that Colorectal Cancer is the second leading killer disease?
Do you know that there is about 140,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and more than 50,000 people die from it every year. The most important message presented during Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March is screening for colon cancer can save lives and stop a deadly form of cancer early in its development, or before it even starts.
What is colorectal cancer?
Cancer – the disease in which cells in the body begins to grow out of control. Colorectal cancer is the cancer that starts in cells of the colon or rectum.
So where is colon and rectum and what are their functions?
Colon and rectum are parts of the large intestine. The colon absorbs water and nutrients then passes the wastes (stools or feces) to the rectum. From there, stool passes out of the body through opening called the anus.
Most colorectal cancer start as a polyp – a growth that starts in the inner lining of the colon or rectum and grows toward the center. Most polyps are not cancer. However, if left untreated, they may become cancerous and grow into the muscle layers under the lining of the colon and then through the colon wall. Some doctors believe that most of the colorectal cancer take 5 to 10 years or more to develop.
Is that any sign and symptoms?
Colorectal cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages because the cancer is very small. Symptoms often appear once the tumour grows into surrounding tissues and organs.
The symptoms may include
bleeding from the rectum
blood in the stool (it can be bright or dark red)
feeling of incomplete bowel movement
loss of appetite
weight loss
pain in the abdomen, buttocks or legs
a lump at abdomen
Sometimes cancer can block the bowel and has symptoms like:
Griping pains in the abdomen
Feeling bloated
Constipation
Feeling unable to pass wind
Who have higher risk for colorectal cancer?
People aged 50 and above
95% of bowel cancers are diagnosed in people aged 50 and above. Thus, the risk increases as getting older.
Family history of colorectal cancer
A strong family history usually there is several relatives diagnosed with bowel cancer, especially first degree relative diagnosed before the age of 45. First degree relative is a parent, brother or sister, son or daughter.
Polyps in the colon or rectum
A personal or family history of polyps in the colon, rectum or both significantly increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer.
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are chronic bowel diseases causing inflammation in the large intestines. This is probably because the disease damages the lining of the colon and it has to repair itself repeatedly. Thus, this increase in cells dividing and growing increases the risk of a cancerous cell developing.
Inherited disease – FAP and HNPCC
There is two inherited conditions may increase the colorectal cancer, which are Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) and Lynch Sundrome, also known as Hereditary Non Polyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC).
Screening: Prevention is better than cure
The Canadian Cancer Society recommends that men and women age 50 and over have a stool test at least every 2 years. If the stool test is positive, follow-up test including colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and double-contrast barium enema may be done for further diagnosis.
