Colon Cancer

Various cancer types exist, and colon cancer - also known as colorectal cancer - is one of them. This type of cancer affects the area that named the colon or rectum.

It is one of the most known and common types of cancer that can be seen worldwide. However, the age range is generally over the age of 50 - but it doesn’t mean it can’t affect younger people either.

In this article, we will learn about colon cancer in general and some information such as treatment options for colon cancer, surgery, types of colon cancer, and more.

Causes of Colon Cancer

Like most cancer forms, the causes of colon cancer are not fully known. However, some factors may affect the cancer process can be listed as:

• Age: Colon cancer is mostly seen among patients who are over 50 years old - the risk increases with the age of the patient.
• Alcohol & Smoking: Excessive consumption of alcohol and smoking may increase the rate of colon cancer.
• Having a History of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Chronic inflammatory diseases such as Crohn’s disease affects the risk of colon cancer.

Types of Colon Cancer

Types of colon cancer are decided through the characteristics of the cells, and they include:

• Adenocarcinoma: This is one of the most known and common types of colon cancer. Often, it starts with the polyps around the rectum.
• Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors: Some tumors may be taken place around the gastrointestinal tract, and might be malignant or non-malignant.

Apart from the types of colon cancer, it is important to have an early diagnosis. Also, please note that regular check-ups can help with cancer prevention.

Treatment Options for Colon Cancer

Treatment options for colon cancer depend on various factors such as stage and location along with the medical history and the situation of the patient. Generally, they can be listed as:

• Surgery: The first option for colon cancer is surgery to remove the cancerous tumor around the rectum.
• Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy uses certain drugs to eliminate and destroy cancerous cells, and can be administered in the pre-surgery stage or post-surgery stage.
• Radiation Therapy: As the name itself suggests, high-energy rays are used to kill cancerous cells.
• Targeted Therapy: Targeted therapy is a treatment option that uses certain drugs that directly target certain molecules, cells, or paths of the cancerous cells.

Surgical Procedures for Colon Cancer 

Since surgery is the most common treatment option for colon cancer, surgical procedures are required. For example, when the cancer is small and in its early stages, removing the small cancerous area is preferred through surgery.

If there are any polyps seen through the colonoscopy, they require polypectomy - which means the removal of the polyps. On the other side, colectomy is the most preferred surgical procedure for colon cancer and has 3-4 different types.

Lifestyle Modifications for Colon Cancer Prevention

Lifestyle modifications can play a crucial role to reduce risks and colon cancer prevention. Of course, not all cancers including colon cancer can’t be prevented at any time, but changing your lifestyle can offer you different benefits.

• Having a balanced diet: Having a balanced diet along with supported nutrition would improve your lifestyle. Please note that reducing the sugar intake would be helpful as well.
• Regular mild exercises: Doing regular light exercises such as walking, stretching, jogging, cycling, etc. would be helpful to maintain a healthy weight and healthy digestion.

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