Everything to know about colon cancer symptoms, causes and treatment

What should you know about Colon cancer?

Colon cancer is an illness that begins in the colon and spreads throughout the digestive tract (colon). The last section of the digestive tract is the colon. When the usual replacement of colon lining cells fails, colon and rectum cancers develop.

When tumours form in the large intestine, they are known as colon cancer. As of 2016, it is the third most frequent kind of cancer in the US.

When solid waste is digested, the colon, or big intestine, removes water and salt from the waste. In the rectum, the waste goes to the anus, where it is expelled from the body.

There are several “silent tumours” in colon malignancies. Colon cancer symptoms may not begin to appear until the tumour is quite large. It is possible for tumours to be quite tiny and create little or no early signs of colon cancer. 

As the colon cancer causes are not known, doctors urge regular screenings to help prevent cancer by eliminating polyps before they become cancerous.

Colon cancer subtypes

Depending on where the disease begins, there are a number of different forms of cancer.

1. Adenocarcinoma:  It’s the most prevalent type, accounting for 96 per cent of all instances. Colonic mucus and rectum mucus are both made by cells in your colon and rectum.
2. Carcinoid tumour: Hormone-producing cells are the first to be affected.
3. Gastrointestinal stromal tumour: Your colon’s cells communicate with your gastrointestinal muscles to move food or liquid through your digestive system.
4. Lymphoma: This is a cancer of the immune system cells in your body.
5. Sarcoma:  Connective tissues like blood vessels and muscle layers are at the root of this.

Colon cancer stages

There are a variety of methods for determining cancer’s stage. For example, a tumour’s size can be determined by its stage. 

• Stage 0: Known as carcinoma in situ, the cancer is still in its early stages at this point. In most cases, the disease has not spread beyond the lining of the colon and is therefore treatable.
• Stage 1: There are no lymph nodes or other organs involved in stage one cancer because cancer cells have only penetrated to the next layer of tissue.
• Stage 2: It is still within the colon and hasn’t spread beyond it.
• Stage 3: One to three lymph nodes have been affected by the malignancy, which has spread to the colon’s outer layers. There have been no reports of the disease spreading elsewhere.
• Stage 4: When cancer has spread beyond the colon wall, it is said to be at the fourth stage of the disease. This cancer spreads to other parts of the body as stage 4 advances.

Colon cancer causes

Most colon cancer causes are not known. In most cases, it is caused by DNA mutations in healthy colon cells. There are specific instructions in a cell’s DNA that dictate what it should or shouldn’t do.

Your body functions normally if your cells divide and expand in an organised fashion. It’s not uncommon for malignant cells to continue to divide even when they don’t have a need. A tumour is formed as the cells grow together.

We are not aware of colon cancer causes but there are various risk factors:

1. Polyps

Precancerous polyps in the large intestine are commonly the colon cancer causes. Certain types of polyps are:

1. Adenomas: Under a microscope, these appear to be the same as the lining of a healthy colon. A malignant growth can occur.
2. Cancer rarely arises from hyperplastic polyps, as they are usually harmless and do not become tumours.

2. Old age

In most cases, usually, colon cancer is caused in persons who are over the age of 50. People under the age of 50 have been diagnosed with colon cancer symptoms at a rising rate, but experts don’t know why.

3. Family history

If you have a first-degree relative who has had cancer, your colon cancer causes the risk to go up. Having a relative with colon or rectal cancer raises your risk even more.

4. A high-fat, low-fibre diet

The average Western diet, which is low in fibre and heavy in fat and calories, may be linked to colon and rectal cancer. The findings of studies in this area have been varied. People who consume a lot of red and processed meat may have an increased chance of developing colon cancer symptoms, according to some research.

People who consume a lot of red and processed meat may have an increased chance of developing cancer, according to some research. Underlying conditions

5. Colon cancer causes are increased by inherited disorders. 

Gene mutations that have been passed down through your family can dramatically raise your risk of developing colon cancer symptoms. Fewer than 10% of cancer cases are hereditary. Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and Lynch syndrome, often known as hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer, are the most frequent inherited syndromes that raise cancer risk.

• Colon cancer causes might be enhanced by certain medical conditions and therapies. The colon cancer symptoms are mainly observed in-

1. Diabetic patients 
2. Having received radiation treatment for other malignancies in the past
3. Intestinal inflammation, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, growth hormone deficiency, acromegaly

Colon cancer symptoms

It is possible that the early signs of colon cancer are modest or nonexistent, although there may be some early warning indications. Colon cancer symptoms may not begin to appear until the disease has progressed to stage 2 or higher.

Early signs of colon cancer

Cancer may produce weight loss and/or narrow, ribbon-like faeces as early warning signs of the disease is advanced enough. Colorectal cancer can also show the following early warning signs:

• Bright red or dark red bleeding in the rectum.
• Narrow stools
• When you feel like you need to urinate but nothing comes out, you have tenesmus.
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Pain in the lower abdomen that doesn’t go away
• Loss of weight without cause

Local colon cancer symptoms

If only the colon or rectum is affected, it is considered a local symptom. Among the most common colon cancer symptoms are:

• Constipation
• Diarrhoea
• Changes in bowel patterns, such as alternating between diarrhoea and constipation
• Abdominal cramps, pain or bloating
• Feeling as if your bowels aren’t totally empty
• Weaker than average stools

Systemic colon cancer symptoms

Colon cancer symptoms can spread beyond the digestive system and affect the rest of your body. Cancer’s systemic symptoms include:

• Unimaginable hunger feelings
• Loss of weight without cause
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Jaundice
• Anaemia
• Weakness
• Fatigue

Colon cancer diagnosis

During a physical exam, your doctor may feel your abdomen for any enlarged organs or tumours that may indicate colon cancer symptoms. Polyps can be detected using one or more of the following tests:

a) Colonoscopy:

During a colonoscopy, a thin tube with a light attached to the end is inserted into the anus and into the rectum and colon to examine the inside. A biopsy can be performed on any suspicious tumour or polyp to see if it contains cancerous cells.

b) Biopsy:

It is a procedure in which the doctor removes a small bit of tissue from a suspected cancerous area in order to perform further testing. The tissue is examined for signs of malignancy. Colon cancer symptoms can be detected using this procedure.

c) CT or CAT scan:

It is a type of x-ray that produces more detailed images of the inside of your body. Additionally, a CT scan can be utilised to aid in biopsies and reveal colon cancer symptoms and whether or not cancer has progressed throughout the body.

d) Ultrasound:

A tiny device is used to move across your skin during this examination. When sound waves bounce off tissues, it picks up the echoes and emits them. On a computer screen, the echoes are visualised as an image. It is employed in the detection of colon cancer symptoms and spread.

e) Gene and protein tests:

Tests for genes and proteins, such as KRAS, BRAF, MMR, and MSI, can be performed on cancer cells from a biopsy sample. Colon cancer treatment like targeted therapy and immunotherapy may be more effective if doctors know the genes and proteins your tumour contains.

f) Other diagnostic procedures:

You can get a better view of your organs by having an MRI or ultrasound done by your doctor for detecting colon cancer symptoms.

Colon cancer treatment

1. Surgery

A colectomy is a surgical procedure that removes the colon in its entirety or in portions. The cancerous portion of the colon and some of its surrounding tissue are removed during this colon cancer treatment.

For instance, lymph nodes around the site of the infection are frequently removed to prevent the spread of the disease. Depending on the degree of the colectomy, the surgeon will either rejoin the healthy piece of the colon or create a stoma.

Among the other procedures available are:

• Endoscopy: Some small, localised tumours may be removed by surgeons using endoscopy. A light and camera will be linked to a thin, flexible tube that will be inserted into the patient. Cancerous tissue can also be removed with an attachment.
• Laparoscopic surgery: Several small incisions in the abdomen are made by the surgeon during this procedure. When dealing with large polyps, it may be possible to use this method.

2. Radiation treatment.

Radioactive isotopes and other radioactive agents are used in radiation treatment to treat colon cancer symptoms. The tumour is the target of the radiation. Damage to cancer cells’ chromosomes prevents them from re-proliferating.

3. Chemotherapy

It is a cancer treatment that employs chemicals to kill cancer cells. If the malignancy is big or has spread to the lymph nodes, chemotherapy is frequently administered following surgery. As a result, chemotherapy may help lessen the likelihood of cancer recurrence by killing any remaining cancer cells in the body.

A large tumour may be reduced in size by chemotherapy before an operation, making it easier to remove surgically.

Cancer of the colon that is either too advanced to be removed surgically or has spread to other parts of the body can be treated with chemotherapy. 

Also Read- Cancer prevention: tips to reduce your cancer risk

4. Targeted drug therapy

This colon cancer treatment can kill cancer cells by preventing aberrations in these processes. Chemotherapy is often used in conjunction with targeted medications to suppress colon cancer symptoms. Patients with advanced cancer are often the only ones who can benefit from targeted treatments.

5. Immunotherapy

Using your body’s own immune system to combat cancer is the goal of immunotherapy. You may not be able to fight off your cancer because the cancer cells manufacture proteins that prevent the immune system from identifying the cancer cells. Immunotherapy works by disrupting that mechanism.

For the most part, immunotherapy is reserved for patients with advanced cancer. Your doctor may order a test to evaluate if your cancer cells are likely to respond to this therapy.

6. Palliative (supportive) care

This is not a colon cancer treatment. Its main objective is to alleviate your discomfort and bring you some relief. As a result, it also helps your loved ones and caregivers. When making long-term care decisions, this information can assist you.

As soon as you learn that you have cancer, ask your doctor about palliative care. Medications for pain and side effects can be prescribed by your healthcare provider. In addition, palliative care may help you live longer and alleviate depression.

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