COLON CANCER

Colon cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in the colon. The number of new cases has fallen in recent years, due to increased screening and polyp removal.

Risk factors include:

a personal or family history of colon cancer, polyps, or inflammatory bowel disease
prior endometrial, ovarian or breast cancer
eating a high-fat and low-fiber diet
age -- commonly in people over 50 or
ulcerative colitis

Signs and symptoms include:

weight loss with no known reason
constant tiredness
general abdominal discomfort (frequent gas pains, bloating, fullness)
blood in the stool
a change in bowel habits (such as the shape, color, and frequency of the stool) or
diarrhea, constipation, or feeling that the bowel does not empty completely

Should symptoms occur, a colonoscopy (viewing the entire colon with a flexible fiberoptic scope) or a barium enema may be performed. If polyps or lesions are seen, they may be totally removed if they are small enough, or a piece of the polyp may be removed ((biopsy). The tissue is sent to a laboratory for evaluation and diagnosis. If a cancer is found, surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy may be performed.

For all men and women 50 years of age or older, who are at average risk of colon cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends the following screening tests for colon cancer:

fecal occult blood test every year OR
flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years OR
fecal occult blood test every year with a flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years OR
colonoscopy every 10 years OR
double contrast barium enema every 5 years

Of the first three options, the American Cancer Society recommends the third option, of the fecal occult blood test every year and the flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years. If the fecal occult blood test is positive then a colonoscopy would be done instead of the sigmoidoscopy. If any of these tests (except colonoscopy) are positive, they should be followed up with a colonoscopy. The take-home multiple sample method of fecal occult blood test is the one that should be done.

Anyone who has a polyp removed that is cancerous needs to have another colonoscopy within 3 years. This is important because once a person has one polyp, they are more likely to have another polyp later.

Ninety percent of colon cancers detected in an early stage, have a survival rate of 5 years or more. Visit your doctor regularly. Follow your healthcare provider's recommendations for prevention and routine cancer detection.

For more information, contact your local chapter of the American Cancer Society or the National Cancer Institute at (800) 4-CANCER. Visit their websites at www.cancer.org and www.cancer.gov.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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