Diagnosed With Colon Cancer? If You or a Loved One Are Looking for an Effective Colon Cancer Treatment,Natural Strategies that Will Help You Defeat This Deadly Disease The human colon is a muscular, tube-shaped organ measuring about 4 feet long. It extendsfrom the end of your small bowel to your anus,twisting and turning through your abdomen(belly). The colon has 3 main functions: *To digest and absorb nutrients from food *To concentrate fecal material by absorbing fluid(and electrolytes) from it *To store and control evacuation of fecal materialThe right side of your colon plays a major role inabsorbing water and electrolytes, while the leftside is responsible for storage and evacuation ofstool.Cancer is the transformation of normal cells. The transformed cells grow and multiply abnormally.Left untreated, these cancers grow and eventuallyspread through the colon wall to involve theadjacent lymph nodes and organs. Ultimately,they spread to distant organs such as the liver,lungs, brain, and bones.Cancers are dangerous because of their unbridledgrowth. They overwhelm healthy cells, tissues,and organs by taking their oxygen, nutrients, andspace.Most colon cancers are adenocarcinomas-tumorsthat develop from the glands lining the colonsinner wall.These tumors are sometimes referred to ascolorectal cancer, reflecting the fact that therectum, the end portion of the colon, can also beaffected.In the United States, 1 in 17 people will developcolorectal cancer.According to reports from the National CancerInstitute, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in US men.Colorectal canceris the second most common cancer in US women of Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, or Asian/Pacific Island erancestry, and the third most common cancer in white and African American women. The overall incidence of colorectal cancerincreased until 1985 and then began decreasingat an average rate of 1.6% per year.Deaths from colorectal cancer rank third afterlung and prostate cancer for men and third afterlung and breast cancer for women.Colon Cancer SymptomsCancer of the colon and rectum can exhibit itselfin several ways. If you have any of thesesymptoms, seek immediate medical help.You may notice bleeding from your rectum orblood mixed with your stool. People commonly attribute all rectal bleeding tohemorrhoids, thus preventing early diagnosisowing to lack of concern over bleedinghemorrhoids.Rectal bleeding may be hidden and chronic andmay show up as an iron deficiency anemia.It may be associated with fatigue and pale skin.It usually, but not always, can be detectedthrough a fecal occult (hidden) blood test, inwhich samples of stool are submitted to a lab fordetection of blood.If the tumor gets large enough, it may completelyor partially block your colon. You may notice thefollowing symptoms of bowel obstruction: Abdominal distension: Your belly sticks out morethan it did before without weight gain.Abdominal pain: This is rare in colon cancer. Onecause is tearing (perforation) of the bowel.Leaking of bowel contents into the pelvis cancause inflammation (peritonitis) and infection.Unexplained, persistent nausea or vomitingUnexplained weight lossChange in frequency or character of stool (bowelmovements)Small-caliber (narrow) or ribbon-like stoolsSensation of incomplete evacuation after a bowelmovementRectal pain: Pain rarely occurs with colon cancerand usually indicates a bulky tumor in the rectumthat may invade surrounding tissue.Studies suggest that the average duration ofsymptoms (from onset to diagnosis) is 14 weeks.There is no association between overall durationof symptoms and the stage of your tumor.Colon Cancer CausesMost colorectal cancers arise from adenomatouspolyps-clusters of abnormal cells in the glandscovering the inner wall of the colon. Over time,these abnormal growths enlarge and ultimatelydegenerate to become adenocarcinomas. People with any of several conditions known asadenomatous polyposis syndromes have
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 10:22:03 +0000
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