Healthy Tips

Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of deaths in the USA, and the number of patients is increasing each year.

Colon cancer occurs when a tumor appears inside the colon or the rectum. Two types of tumors can form inside the large intestine (the colon together with the rectum form the large intestine) – benign tumors and malignant tumors. Benign tumors are called polyps, and they can easily be surgically removed without any complications. However, in many cases benign tumors are not discovered, and in time they turn into malignant tumors. Malignant tumors are tumors that evolve and spread very fast and can cause death.

If a polyp that’s inside the colon has just turned into a malignant tumor, then colon cancer appears. In this early stage it can be treated and cured without any problems, but the existence of the tumor does not cause any signs and symptoms to appear until the cancer has already spread much, so it’s hard to detect these early tumors.

After it has spread, colon cancer starts to cause symptoms that can’t be overlooked, like blood in the stool, change in bowel habits, fatigue, vomiting, stomach aches, so in this phase it’s easy to discover and diagnose it, after some clinical tests and trials.

The firs thing that doctors do once a patient is diagnosed with colon cancer is to surgically remove the parts of the large intestine that are affected and then sew the intestine back. The large intestine is over 4 feet long so removing a few inches from it won’t hurt much.

After the colon cancer surgery, tests are performed in order to check in there are any other cancerous cells left in the body. If these tests show that the cancer has passed through the large intestine’s walls, into the abdominal cavity, and it has infected cells and tissues there, then a stage 3 colon cancer is diagnosed. If there are other places where the cancer has spread, then stage 4 colon cancer is the diagnose.

After the diagnose the patient must immediately continue the therapy, in order to remove all the remaining cancer cells. More clinical trials must be performed to establish what the best treatment is.

Stage 3 colon cancer can be cured, and the survival rate of patients is around 50%. The treatment used in most cases is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is done by injecting some substances directly in the blood. These substances can help the body fight the cancerous cells, but they also cause severe side-effects, among which you can find loss of hair, loss of weight, fatigue, confusion, and many more.

Chemotherapy treatment is improved each year, and scientists hope to find the best solution for treating stage 3 colon cancer in the near future, and the survival rate is increasing.

For more resource on different colon cancer subjects please click this link http://www.colon-cancer-center.com. You can also find valuable information about stage3 colon cancer or even about colon cancer diet

Cancer is the name for a disease that can affect cells from all the organs and body’s structures and is considered to be life threatening. The colon and rectum are a part of the large intestine and their function is to absorb nutrients and water from the food that passes through the intestine before it goes out of the body. Colorectal cancer is the disease that affects the cells from the colon and rectum creating a malign or benign tumor.

Treatment is possible for those who suffer of colon cancer. The treatment is based of three procedures: surgery, using radiations, and chemotherapy.

Generally the colon cancer is treated with surgery and this depends on the stage of the cancer. If the cancer is in an early stage then the doctor will take the tumor out by putting a tube that passes the rectum until it reaches the colon and only then cutting the tumor. This means that the doctor performs a local excision when the cancer is localized on a polyp than the procedure will be classified as a polypectomy. If the cancer is in a more advanced stage the doctor will have to cut that tumor out along with a part of the healthy colon. Then the two parts of healthy colon will be sewed together. The lymph nodes around the affected area will also be removed and analyzed at the microscope.

Sometimes the doctor can not sew the two heads of the colon and will be forced to make a hole on the surface of the body in order to create another anus, also known as a colostomy. This second anus will not be kept forever, it will be kept until the colon heals and can be sewed back. Sometimes if the situation is bad and the colon can not be saved, this colostomy will be permanent. The patient will further need a special bag made for collecting the body wastes. These bags are only for one use and are not able to be seen due to clothing and are easy to replace even by the patient.

Another procedure to treat cancer is radiotherapy. This therapy uses x-rays for killing cancerous cells and making the tumor stop its evolution and even shrink. Radiation therapy can be performed by special machines situated near the body and by special tubes that contain radioactive material and are placed inside the body near the intestines. The radiation therapy can be combined with surgery and other procedures for treating cancer.

Chemotherapy is also used in treating cancer. Chemotherapy uses pills or substances that go by vein in the organism. As these drugs travel the blood stream and can kill cancerous cell all over the body the chemotherapy is known to as a systemic therapy. Chemotherapy can be associated with surgery. While the surgeon removes the tumors that can be seen with by a naked eye, chemotherapy destroys those small cells that the surgeon can not remove.

Also, biological therapy can be used as it increases the forces of the organism to fight cancer and will help the body increase its defenses.

For greater resources on colon cancer or especially about colon cancer treatment please visit this link http://www.colon-cancer-center.com/colon-cancer-treatment.htm

Cancer is one of the biggest killers around the world. In America alone, 25% of all deaths are related to cancer.

Many people think of cancer as a single problem but in fact, it is a number of problems spread throughout the body. Generally speaking, if cancer is caught in the early stages of development, it can be treated and cured.

Although there are several different types of cancer, the most common ones are Lung, Prostate, Breast, Testicular, Skin and Colon cancers.

Genes control the multiplication and growth of cells. If these genes are defective in the first place, then the cells will not be able to grow or divide properly. As a result of this abnormality, cancerous cells are born.

There are a number of factors which cause cancer. Factors which are controllable by humans are smoking, toxic elements and radiation. These can be controlled to some degree and therefore it would be wise to avoid them by changing lifestyle habits. However, there are certain elements which are outside our control.

These include mutation and inherited DNA.

As a result of studies conducted by the American Cancer Society, more than 180,000 people have died as a direct result of smoking. Another 200,000 people have died due to lack of changing lifestyle habits. Obesity, laziness and malnutrition can have an effect on the growth of cancer. Needless to say, cancer has risen by more than 50% since 1995.

Let’s take a look at some of these cancer causes in more detail.

Smoking: The most prevalent and easily avoidable type of cancer is the one caused by the use of tobacco. This includes the use of cigarettes, cigars and pipes. Even though smokers are addicted to nicotine, the fact that 200,000 people die every year due to smoking caused cancer should be enough motivation to quit. Some experts say that cessation of smoking can increase lifespan by up to 20 years.

Although nothing has been proven, studies indicate that stress may also be a contributing factor to cancer. Many cancer patients are also employed in stressful jobs. Some theologians believe that stress lowers the bodies immunity to cancer.

Exercise and Healthy Eating: Healthy eating and exercise is universally known to be beneficial in many aspects. But, many people don’t know that food full of nutrition can reduce the risk of cancer. Specific foods such as fruit and veg can help prevent cancer whilst fatty foods such as meat can increase the likelihood of cancer.

Skin cancer can easily be avoided by simply listening to good advice. Wear sunglasses, hats, sun cream and other sensible items of clothing to avoid the onset of this type of cancer. Although this may seem like common sense, more than one million people have been diagnosed with skin cancer in a single year.

In summary, some cancers can be avoided. New research and studies are being conducted all the time. So, rather than concentrating on how to treat cancer patients, maybe we should all be looking for more ways to prevent the cancer in the first place.