Colon Cancer

Colon cancer has become one of the worst and one of the most deadliest cancers that have been discovered. There are many risk factors that can cause this disease and that people are not aware of. Those who are over the age of 50 and do not have a healthy diet will find themselves at a higher risk then those who try to eat stay on a diet full of nutritious foods.

A person's diet is very important in anyone's life no matter what age. Yet, it seems like we in America feel that we are too busy to eat and cook normal meals. So we eat at the nearest fast food restaurant or we purchase TV dinners. Both of these foods are high in fat, sodium, and cholesterol - which can lead to a high risk of colon cancer.

Physicians try to encourage their patients to eat more foods that will help not only their colon - but also their hearts. Vegetables, fruits, the right amount of protein, and less of the fatty foods are some things that we need to add and change in all of our diets. In fact natural foods are the best types of foods because they are void of any chemicals.

Even if you do change your diet and try your best to prevent this deadly disease you should make regular visits with your doctor. Your doctor can perform regular health tests as well as a colonoscopy to determine if you have the disease or not.

No matter what steps you take to try to prevent this deadly disease it is important that you still schedule visits for a colonoscopy regularly to make sure that there is nothing wrong with you and that your body is responding well to the new diet that you are treating it to.

Doctors are able to use a noninvasive scan to find some of the more dangerous and precancerous polyps in colon cancer patients. This procedure has similar results then a colonoscopy - but it is safer because it avoids the risk of bowel perforation and is not nearly as painful. This new procedure was tested during a study at UCSD and at 14 other research centers around the world.

"We now have another tool to catch these polyps early, and one that's less risky and easier on the patient," said Dr. Giovanna Casola - one of the authors on the report and a professor of radiology at the University of California San Diego. "We can save lives, and that's the bottom line," she said. "This gives patients a choice."

The study will be published in the new edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. The Journal has pushed insurance companies and Medicare to pay for the new procedure -called virtual colonoscopy or CT colonoscopy. Because of their influence Medicare and certain private insurance companies will now cover the procedure - but only for people who are too weak and frail or have intestinal problems.

Doctors recommend that people be screened for colon cancer when they hit the age of 50 and then every ten years afterwards. If polyps are discovered then you should have tests done more often.

Colon cancer has become one of the worst known cancer diseases to hit Americans. There are actually five different stages to this cancer. Each stage is different in severity and will therefore have different treatment options.

Stage 0 - This is the earliest stage of colon cancer. During this stage the cancer has only infected the lining of the colon and is confined to polyps (this is the tissue that is expanding from the surface of an organ). When these polyps are removed during the colonoscopy procedure they no longer have any chance of spreading to other areas of the body.

Stage I - During this stage the polyps has turned into a tumor and has progressed beyond the lining of the colon and moved into the wall. Treatments for this stage will require the removal of a section of the colon that the cancer has infected. This procedure is referred to as a resection.

Stage II - This stage occurs when the cancer has moved on to the tissue that surrounds the colon - but it has not yet spread itself to the lymph nodes. When the cancer has spread for one part of the body to another part it is referred to as metastasis colon cancer. Most will treat this stage with a resection.

Stage III - During this stage the cancer has traveled to the outside of the colon cancer and traveled to the lymph nodes. It has not yet spread to other organs in the body. The treatment is very aggressive and may include; resection and chemotherapy.

Stage IV - In this stage the colon cancer has traveled to other organs in the body (liver, lungs, etc.). Most often times it will be treated with a resection, radiation treatment, chemotherapy, or surgery to remove other parts of the body that are affected.

Men are at an increased risk today in America of developing colon cancer. The associated symptoms in the early stages can be confused to be a less serious condition which would lead doctors to not begin early treatment. It is imperative that all men be tested in their early adult years in order to detect the presence of colon cancer before it progresses to a stage that is to far gone.

Colon cancer is a condition that no one should ever have to deal with. Unfortunately it has become one of the most rampant and most difficult types of cancer that people have to deal with. The worst thing about this is that people will often see signs of it - but will confuse it with other less severe problems.

When this happens they will have things checked out and by that time the cancer has spread and there is not much that the doctors can do about it. That is why people need to be made aware of the potential signs of colon cancer so that they can catch it early and treat it early.

Several digestive problems are signs of colon cancer. If you think that you have diverticulitis, Crohns, ulcerative colitis, or irritable bowel syndrome than you need to see your doctor and ask them to look for a deeper problem. Signs leading to this problem include; cramping, diarrhea, bloody stools, thin stools, constipation, weight loss, anemia, and bloating.

Unfortunately for many people the signs will not even begin to show until the cancer has developed. This might be a few months or a few years. Because of this we recommend that you have a few simple screenings for colon cancer and a colonoscopy.

If you have any of these signs you need to see your doctor right away. These signs may seem small at first - but they could lead to a larger problem. It may be nothing at all - but having screenings throughout the year will help. Catching it quickly will help you to treat it and live the rest of your life in peace.