Things to know about colon cancer
Health

Things to know about colon cancer

The bottom-most part of the large intestine is called the colon. In case of cancer, this region develops polyps, which lead to colon cancer over a period of time. These adenomatous polyps initially develop as a benign lump of cells that are non-cancerous. But, with the passage of time, they turn cancerous and result in colon cancer.

Polyps usually don’t manifest any symptoms, and even if they do, they are very few and often go undetected. Hence, doctors highly recommend getting yourself a thorough check up once you cross 50 years of age. This can help you to excise any polyps present in the colon before they can turn cancerous.

Symptoms of colon cancer

The following are symptoms that could imply the person is suffering from colon cancer.

  • Unusual weight loss
  • Tiredness and fatigue
  • Feeling of partial bowel relief and not complete emptiness.
  • Frequently recurring gas, cramps and abdominal uneasiness.
  • Blood in stool

Disturbance in bowel movements for prolonged durations could be due to common problems such as diarrhea, constipation, or even change in stool consistency.

Causes of colon cancer

Although the causes of colon cancer are not very well identified, it is known that colon cancer is caused due to genetic aberrations, i.e., when the DNA sequence becomes abnormal, thereby turning healthy cells into cancerous cells. As opposed to a healthy cell, a cancerous cell continues to divide even when no new cells are required. Uninhibited division of cells then goes on to become a tumor.

With time, these cancerous cells continue to divide and slowly invade the nearby normal cells and tissues. Cancerous cells can travel and affect other parts of the body by depositing elsewhere. Moreover, these new tumors are called metastasis.

A widely known cause of colon cancer is gene mutations, which could be due to inheritance as well. However, this occurs in a very few people. These gene mutations don’t necessarily mean cancer but promote an increased risk of cancer.

Prevention of colon cancer

The first and foremost way of preventing colon cancer is getting yourself screened regularly. People with an average risk of developing the disease should start with getting screened regularly from the age of 50. If you have a prior incidence of colon cancer in your family, then you should consider starting with screening much earlier.

There are various ways through which you could get yourself screened. Consult your doctor and find out which one of them is most suited for your condition.

Some medication has been found to minimize the risk of colon cancer, though this is a rough estimation and there is no deterministic amount of drug and dosage details supporting it. Aspirin and aspirin-like drugs are one such example. However, this drug is not recommended as a prevention due to its heavy side effects.

Colon cancer prevention for people with a high risk

Although colon cancer is surely a severe disorder, treating it in the early stage makes sure that you survive without further troubles. Pay attention to any early persistent symptoms and take extra precaution if you have a family history and are at higher risk of the disease.

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