Colon Cancer
What is Colorectal Cancer or Colon Cancer...?Colorectal, or colon cancer includes:
When abnormal cell growth occurs, a tumor develops. If the cells of a tumor acquire the ability to invade and thus spread into the intestinal wall and to other sites, a malignant or cancerous tumor develops. Most develop first as polyps, which are growths that may later become cancerous.
Colonoscopy is the diagnostic method of choice, and should always be done in elderly patients with bleeding or unexplained iron deficiency anemia. Surgical treatment if possible is curative, radiation and medical therapy are palliative. Second most deaths for cancers in the US (lung cancer is 1st)Risk increases with age, mostly occurs over age 50 Almost all develop from non-cancerous polyps. Polyps usually do not turn into cancer, but when they occur it's important to have them monitored, by having regular screening. Screening after age 50 is crucial. Unlike other types of cancer, colon cancer can actually be prevented by screening, because non-cancerous polyps, which can be removed, almost always precede the cancer. Colon cancer is, in almost all cases, a treatable disease if caught early. How well you do depends on many things, including the stage of the cancer. In general, when treated at an early stage, the vast majority of patients survive at least 5 years after their diagnosis. (This is called the 5-year survival rate.) However, the 5-year survival rate drops considerably once the cancer has spread. If it does not come back within 5 years, it is considered cured. Stage I, II, and III cancers are considered potentially curable. In most cases, stage IV cancer is not curable.
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