Colon cancer, also commonly called colorectal cancer, is the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells that begins in the lining of the colon. Colon cancer affects the large intestine, which includes the colon, the rectum and the appendix. Each type of cancer is broken into stages, with each stage describing the tumor and the extent of its growth. To assign the stage, patients describe their symptoms and doctors run diagnostic tests. By assigning stages, doctors are better able to determine the appropriate course of treatment.
Awareness
Attention paid to colon cancer might have peaked in March 2000 when "The Today Show" host Katie Couric allowed her colonoscopy (test for colon cancer) to be televised. Since her candid interviews, the awareness of colon cancer and the number of people receiving their own colonoscopy has increased dramatically, according to a University of Michigan research study conducted in 2003. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States.
Screening
Colon cancer affects men and women, and anyone older than 50 years of age should undergo screening. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, in 2004, 57 percent of those age 50 and older received a fecal occult blood test, which is one colon cancer screening test that detects blood in the stool. That is an increase from 54 percent in 2002. However, that still leaves more than 41.8 million people older than 50 who have not been screened.
Stages
Stage 0, also called carcinoma in situ, is the presence of abnormal cells on the lining of the colon.
Stage 1 is when the cancer has spread beyond the lining to the inner layers of tissue of the colon.
Stage 2 actually has two substages. In the first, called stage 2a, cancer has spread beyond the middle layers of the colon wall and is starting to spread to other tissues. In stage 2b, the cancer has spread through the peritoneum, which is the lining of the abdominal cavity.
Stage 3 has three sub-stages but is marked with the cancer spreading to lymph nodes, farther through the peritoneum and to organs.
Stage 4 the cancer has spread to major organs including the liver or lungs.
Symptoms
In the early stages of colon cancer, patients seldom experience symptoms. They might have changes in their bowel movements, or pain in the abdomen during a bowel movement or a feeling of tiredness, but mostly these symptoms will be subtle and go unnoticed.
However, by stage 3, the cancer is progressed enough to produce noticeable symptoms. The most common symptoms to alert the patient to seek treatment are pain in the lower abdomen area, cramps, difficult bowel movement, nausea and extreme fatigue.
As with most cancers, there are also emotional symptoms that set in after diagnosis. Most patients exhibit feelings of frustration, anger, sadness and despair.
Treatments
Stage 3 colon cancer can be fatal, but there are treatments available that can add months or years to your life. The most important goal is to stop the spread of the cancer. Typically the patient will undergo surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible. At stage 3, the surgery will usually involve either a partial colectomy, which is the removal of the tumor with some surrounding healthy tissue and the healthy parts of the colon are then reattached to each other or a colostomy, in which an opening must be made to the outside of the body for waste to pass through.
Following surgery patients will undergo chemotherapy. The most popular drugs for stage 3 include Eloxatin combined with Adrucil and Wellcovorin. Eloxatin kills cancer cells while Adrucil slows the growth of the cancer cells and Wellcovorin is a vitamin including folic acid. There are additional approved drugs available that are effective as well as many clinical trials that are studying new therapies.
Tags: cancer spread, cancer cells, colon cancer, stage cancer, available that, bowel movement, cancer affects