Understanding Colon Cancer - Symptoms, Causes and Early Detection

The large intestine, also called colon, is located in the abdominal cavity where it takes the form of an inverted U. It follows the small intestine into the pit right iliac then back along the abdomen, it is experiencing in its upper part, then downhill into the left iliac fossa where it forms a loop S (sigmoid colon ).

It then continues with the rectum and then, 15 cm lower, with the anal canal and ending with the anus. Malignant tumors of intestine develop in 70 percent of cases in the rectum and sigmoid, from the mucosa (inner layer) or more often a polyp (benign tumor that has cancer).

Symptoms

We have to wait very long, often several months to see the first symptoms usually occurring by the presence of blood or mucus in black, and disorders of transit for more than three weeks, mainly characterized by alternating diarrhea and constipation. Without treatment, cancer of the colon can cause intestinal obstruction, more rarely perforation of the bowel wall. Later, chronic bleeding that occurs in the tumor causes anemia and unintended weight loss.

Causes

If we do not yet know the exact causes of colon cancer, it is believed that some severe inflammatory diseases of the bowel as well as foods rich in fat and low in fiber promote its appearance.

We also believe that five per cent of cancers rectocoliques certainly have a family, ie they are favored by inherited genes. We know for example that children, brothers and sisters of people who had colon cancer may also develop this disease. This risk is particularly high in families with a "familial polyposis."

The disorder is characterized by the presence in many colon polyps, benign tumors that almost always turn into cancer if not removed in time. The progress of genetic engineering we will soon find the gene responsible for the disease among children in these families, regularly monitor those who own and operate them if necessary, while avoiding investigations and unnecessary fears to those who do the not.

Prevention and Early Detection

If there is no really effective way to prevent colon cancer, it is strongly recommended eating foods rich in fiber and drink plenty of fluids. The systematic excision of polyps discovered during an endoscopy is in fact the main measure to prevent colon cancer.

It is also impossible to practice early detection, for example by using a self-examination. The only way to detect colon cancer is to consult a doctor without delay from onset of symptoms mentioned above, namely the presence of blood in the stool and disorders transit. It is therefore necessary to regularly observe the appearance of the stool. The presence of blood should never be attributed to hemorrhoids, at least among those who have more than forty years before fully to investigate the intestine by endoscopy (direct examination with a flexible instrument that we introduced by the rectum).

As for reviews that are to detect the invisible presence of blood in the stool in search of a chronic hemorrhage, they may be useful but are not sufficient because they do almost never detect tumors early, when it is still curable. Moreover, the presence of blood in the stool is not always a sign of colon cancer.

The only way to make a diagnosis with certainty is that allows endoscopy to examine directly, or the lower part of the large intestine (rectodoscopie) where develop almost all the tumors of the intestine or the entire large intestine ( colonscopy).