Prevention Of Colorectal Cancer

Screening for colon cancer

People with average risk of colon cancer can be considered for screening begins at age 50. But people who are at increased risk, such as those with a family history of colon cancer, screening should be considered in the past. Afro-Americans and American Indians can begin colorectal cancer screening at age 45

Several screening options - each with its advantages and disadvantages. Discuss the options with your doctor, and you can decide which tests are appropriate for you. Options may include:

Annual test for occult blood in stool

Flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years

Colonoscopy every 10 years

Virtual colonoscopy (virtual colonoscopy) every five years

DNA tests on the stool - if not a new detection method and it is unclear how often to repeat

More frequent screening or earlier may be advisable if you are at increased risk for colon cancer. Discuss the benefits and risks of each option screening with your doctor. You can choose one or more tests are right for you.

Making changes in lifestyle to reduce your risk

You can take steps to reduce the risk of colon cancer to make changes in their daily lives. Acting:

Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains contain vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants, which may play a role in cancer prevention. Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables to have a variety of vitamins and nutrients.

Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. If you choose to drink alcohol, limit the amount of alcohol you drink to no more than one drink per day for women and two men.

Stop smoking. Talk to your doctor about ways to follow that can work for you.

Physical activity most days of the week. Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days. If you have been active, start slowly and build gradually to 30 minutes. Also, talk to your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Maintain a healthy weight. If you have a healthy weight, work to maintain their weight by combining healthy eating with daily exercise. If you need to lose weight, consult your doctor about healthy ways to reach your goal. Aim to lose weight gradually increase the amount of exercise you do and reduce the number of calories you eat.

Prevention of colon cancer for people at high risk

Some treatments, such as drugs and surgery, has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, polyps or colon cancer. However, there is insufficient evidence to recommend these drugs for people who have an average risk of colon cancer. If you have an increased risk of colon cancer, discuss the benefits and risks of these preventive treatments with your doctor:

Aspirin. Some evidence links a reduced risk of polyps and colon cancer with aspirin regularly. However, studies of low-dose aspirin or short-term use of aspirin have not found this to be true. You may be able to reduce the risk of colon cancer taking high doses of aspirin over a long period of time. However, the use of aspirin in this way runs the risk of side effects such as gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers.

Other analgesics. Other analgesics such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin and others) and naproxen (Aleve, others), have also been studied as a means of preventing colon cancer. Some studies have found that other pain relievers can reduce the risk of precancerous polyps and colon cancer. However, side effects include ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding. Some of these other painkillers have been linked to increased risk of heart problems.

Celecoxib (Celebrex). Celecoxib and other drugs known as COX-2 inhibitors relieve pain. Some data suggest that COX-2 drugs may reduce the risk of precancerous polyps in people who have been diagnosed with polyps in the past. But COX-2 drugs have a risk of heart problems, including heart attacks. Two COX-2 drugs were recalled due to these risks.

Surgery to prevent cancer. In case of rare hereditary syndromes such as familial adenomatous polyposis or inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis, your doctor may recommend removing your colon and rectum in order to prevent cancer occurs.

Screening for colon cancer

People with average risk of colon cancer may consider starting screening at age 50. But people at highest risk, such as those with a family history of colon cancer should be tested earlier. African Americans and Native Americans can begin colon cancer screening at age 45.

Several screening options - each with its advantages and disadvantages. Discuss the options with your doctor, and you can decide which tests are appropriate for you. Options may include:

Annual test for occult blood in stool

Flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years

Colonoscopy every 10 years

Virtual colonoscopy (CT colonography) every five years

DNA tests on the stool - if not a new detection method and it is unclear how often to repeat

More frequent screening or earlier may be advisable if you are at increased risk for colon cancer. Discuss the benefits and risks of each option screening with your doctor. You can choose one or more tests are right for you.

Making changes in lifestyle to reduce your risk

You can take steps to reduce your risk of colon cancer by making changes in your daily life. Take steps to:

Eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains contain vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants that may play a role in cancer prevention. Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables so you get a wide range of vitamins and nutrients.

Alcohol in moderation, if at all. If you decide to drink alcohol, limit the amount of alcohol you drink more than one drink per day for women and two men.

Stop smoking. Talk to your doctor about ways to quit that may work for you.

Exercise most days of the week. Try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days. If you have been inactive, start slowly and gradually increase to 30 minutes. Also, talk to your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Maintain a healthy weight. If you have a healthy weight, work to maintain your weight by combining healthy eating with daily exercise. If you need to lose weight, ask your doctor about healthy ways to reach your goal. Aim to lose weight slowly increasing the amount of exercise you get, and reduce the number of calories you eat.

Prevention of colon cancer for people at high risk

Some treatments, including drugs and surgery, has been shown to reduce the risk of precancerous polyps or colon cancer. But not enough evidence to recommend these drugs for people who have an average risk of colon cancer. If you have an increased risk of colon cancer, discuss the risks and benefits of these preventive treatments with your doctor:

Aspirin. Some evidence links a reduced risk of polyps and colon cancer with aspirin regularly. However, studies of low-dose aspirin or short-term use of aspirin have not found this to be true. You may be able to reduce the risk of colon cancer taking high doses of aspirin over a long period of time. However, the use of aspirin in this way runs the risk of side effects such as gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers.

Other painkillers. Other pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and naproxen (Aleve, others), has also been studied as a means to prevent colon cancer. Some studies have found these other drugs can reduce ', cancer and polyps of colon cancer. But the side effects are gastrointestinal ulcers and bleeding. Some of these other drugs is associated with an increased risk of heart problems.

Celecoxib (Celebrex). Celecoxib and other drugs known as COX-2 inhibitors relieve pain. Some data suggest that COX-2 drugs may reduce the risk of precancerous polyps in people who have been diagnosed with polyps in the past. But COX-2 drugs have a risk of heart problems, including heart attacks. Two COX-2 drugs were recalled due to these risks.

Surgery to prevent cancer. In case of rare hereditary syndromes such as familial adenomatous polyposis or inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis, your doctor may recommend removing your colon and rectum in order to prevent cancer occurs.

Treatment Of Colorectal Cancer

Type of treatment your doctor recommends depends largely on the stage of your cancer. The three main treatment options: surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

Surgery for colon cancer in early stage

If the tumor is small, localized to the polyp, and in a very early stage, the doctor may be able to completely remove during colonoscopy. If the pathologist finds cancer, the polyp does not involve the base - where the polyp is attached to the bowel wall - then there's a good chance that the cancer is completely eliminated.

Some larger polyps can be removed using laparoscopic surgery. In this procedure, your surgeon performs the operation through several small incisions in the abdominal wall, instruments mounted on the insertion of a camera that shows your colon on a video screen. The surgeon may also take samples of lymph nodes in the area where the cancer is localized.

Invasive surgery for colon cancer

If colon cancer has grown or colon, the surgeon may recommend a partial colectomy to remove part of the colon containing the tumor and a margin of normal tissue on either side of cancer. Nearby lymph nodes are usually removed and tested for cancer.

The surgeon is often able to welcome once again to parts of the colon or rectum. But when you can not, for example, if the tumor is the output of your rectum, you may need temporary or permanent stoma. This requires the creation of the hole in the belly of the remaining bowel to eliminate waste body a special bag. Sometimes the colostomy is only temporary, while allowing the colon or rectum to heal after surgery. In some cases, however, the colostomy may be permanent.

Surgery for advanced cancer

If the cancer is advanced or poor general health, your surgeon may recommend surgery to relieve a bowel obstruction or other conditions to improve their symptoms. This surgery is not done to cure cancer, but rather to relieve the signs and symptoms such as bleeding and pain.

In special cases, when the cancer has spread to the liver and only if the overall state of health is still good, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove cancerous lesion in the liver. Chemotherapy may be used before or after this surgery. This treatment may improve prognosis.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy can destroy cancer cells after surgery, to control tumor growth or to relieve the symptoms of colon cancer. Your doctor may recommend chemotherapy if the cancer has spread beyond the colon wall, or if the cancer has spread to lymph nodes. People with colorectal cancer, chemotherapy is usually used in combination with radiation therapy.

Radiotherapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy sources available, such as X-rays to kill cancer cells that might remain after surgery to shrink tumors before an operation so large that it can be removed more easily, or relieve symptoms colon and rectum.

Radiotherapy is rarely used in colon cancer at an early stage, but is a routine part of cancer treatment, especially if the cancer has penetrated through the rectal wall or traveled to nearby lymph nodes. Radiation therapy, usually associated with chemotherapy, can be used after surgery to reduce the risk that the cancer may recur in the region of the rectum, where it began.

Targeted Drug Therapy

Drugs that target specific defects that allow cancer cells to proliferate is accessible to people with advanced colon cancer, including bevacizumab (Avastin), cetuximab (Erbitux) and panitumumab (Vectibix). Targeted drugs can be administered with chemotherapy or alone. Targeted drugs are usually reserved for people with advanced colon cancer.

Some people are helped with targeted drugs, while others do not. Researchers are trying to determine which are most likely to benefit from targeted drugs. Until then, doctors carefully evaluate the benefit of drugs targeted against the small risk of side effects and high costs when you decide to use these treatments.

Symptoms Of Colorectal Cancer

Signs and symptoms of colon cancer are:

Change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea or constipation or a change in stool consistency

Rectal bleeding or blood in the stool

Persistent abdominal discomfort such as cramps, gas or pain

Feeling that the bowel does not empty completely

Weakness or fatigue

Unexplained weight loss

Many people with colon cancer have no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. When symptoms occur, they tend to vary with the size and location of the cancer of the large intestine.

When to see a doctor

If you notice any symptoms of colon cancer, such as blood in the stool or a persistent change in bowel habits, make an appointment with your doctor.

Talk to your doctor about when to begin screening for colon cancer. Guidelines generally recommend early screening for colon cancer at the age of 50 years. Your doctor may recommend more frequent screening or earlier if you have other risk factors such as family history of disease.

Causes Of Colorectal Cancer

In most cases, it is not clear what causes colon cancer. Physicians know that colon cancer occurs when healthy cells in the colon is 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 are not necessary. In the colon and rectum, this exaggerated growth may cause precancerous cells to form in the lining of the intestine. Over a longer period of time - up to several years - some of these areas of abnormal cells can become cancerous.

Cancer, colon cancer

Colon cancer usually begins as clusters of precancerous cells (polyps) in the lining of the colon. Polyps can appear as fungus. Precancerous growths may be flat or recessed into the wall of the colon (polypoid lesions). Removal of polyps and polypoid lesions before they become cancerous can prevent colon cancer.

Inherited genetic mutations that increase the risk of colon cancer

Genetic mutations that increase the risk of colon cancer can be passed from parents to children, but these are the genes they have inherited only a small percentage of colon cancers. Genetic mutations are not inherited cancer inevitable, but may increase the risk of an individual with cancer significantly. Inherited syndromes of colon cancer are:

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). FAP is a rare disease that causes thousands of polyps develop in the lining of the colon and rectum. People with untreated FAP have significantly increased risk of developing colorectal cancer before 40 years of age.

Colorectal cancer hereditary nonpolyposis (HNPCC). HNPCC, also known as Lynch syndrome, increases the risk of colon cancer and other cancers. People with HNPCC tend to develop colon cancer before 50 years of age.

Both FAP and HNPCC can be detected by genetic testing. If you are concerned about their family history of colon cancer, talk to your doctor about whether family history suggests you have a risk of these diseases.

Colorectal Cancer Overview

Colon cancer is cancer of the large intestine (colon), the lower gastrointestinal tract. Colorectal cancer is cancer of the last several centimeters of the colon. Together, they are often referred to as colon cancer.

Most colon cancers start small, noncancerous (benign) clumps of cells called adenomatous polyps. Over time some of these polyps become colon cancer.

Polyps may be small and produces little, if any, symptoms. For this reason, doctors recommend regular screening tests to help prevent colon cancer, identifying polyps before they become colon cancer.

The best way to prevent intermittent claudication is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This means:

Stop smoking if you are a smoker.

If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar under control.

Exercise regularly. Aim for 30 minutes at least three times a week after receiving approval from your doctor.

Lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, if necessary.

Eating foods that are low in saturated fat.

Maintain a healthy weight.