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Colon Cancer |
Details
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Colon cancer is caused by polyps in the colon, which becomes cancerous (or proceeded by growths known as polyps). Colon cancer is the 9th top killer of men. Polyps are not cancerous at first but over time some of them may turn malignant. Detecting polyps, and therefore cancer, is relatively easy with the use of a flexible sigmoidoscope – a thin, bendable tube with a light lens that a doctor inserts through the rectum so that the lower 3rd of the colon can be seen. This is where more than 50% of the tumors can be seen and where most of them occur. If polyps are found, the next step is a colonoscopy using an instrument similar to a flexible sigmoidoscope but that sees farther into the colon and has the ability to remove the polyps. People with colon cancer may have such symptoms as: persistent diarrhea or constipation; black, tarry stools or bleeding from rectum, long, thin stools, persistent feeling of being unable to empty bowels; weight loss, lack of appetite, and unexplained fatigue. All men over the age of 50 should get a flexible sigmoidoscopy every 2 or 3 years. Men that are at high risk (who have parents or siblings with colon cancer) should start getting testing at age 40. Doctors recommend colonoscopy rather than a sigmoidoscopy for this high-risk group, and also those with loose, bloody, and misshapen stools. Treatment for people with colon cancer consists of surgical removal of the cancerous section, possible colostomy, in which excreted waste is collected in a bag or pouch; chemotherapy or radiation in order to prevent occurrence.
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| Category |
Disease Conditions > C
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| Related Searches |
colon cancer symptoms, signs of colon cancer, colon cancer treatment |
| Date Submitted |
08-Aug-2005
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