Colon & Rectal Cancers

The colon and rectum form the large bowel. The colon is the upper 5 to 6 feet. The rectum is the last 6 to 8 inches.

When abnormal cells grow in the colon or rectum, a cancerous tumor may form. These tumors grow slowly. They may get big and block the bowel.

Signs & Symptoms

Colon and rectal cancers can occur without clear symptoms. For this reason, screening is important. When symptoms occur, they include:

A change in bowel habits that lasts more than a few days, including diarrhea or constipation
Frequent gas pains, cramps, bloating, or feelings of fullness in the abdomen
Red or dark blood in or on the stool or rectal bleeding. Pencil thin stools.
Fatigue and/or iron deficiency anemia in men and older women
A feeling that the bowel does not empty completely
Weight loss for no known reason

Risk factors:

Polyps (benign growths that can become cancerous over time). Most colon and rectal cancers develop from polyps.
Family history of colon or rectal cancer. Unless it is treated, an inherited condition called Familial Polyposis puts a person at a very high risk.
Having ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
Aging. Colon and rectal cancers occur most often in people over age 50.
Smoking. Heavy alcohol use.
Eating a diet high in red meats and processed meats
Lack of exercise and/or being overweight or obese

Care:

Finding and treating the cancer early is vital. Treatment includes:

Surgery, including cryosurgery: During this procedure, radio waves travel through electrodes to heat and destroy abnormal cells.
Chemotherapy: This uses medicines to destroy cancer cells.
Radiation therapy: This therapy uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and stop them from spreading.
Targeted therapy: This uses drugs to attack specific cells.
Immunotherapy: This helps your immune system fight and destroy cancer cells.