Colorectal Cancer : Causes, Symptoms & Treatments

Healthy cells in the lining of the colon or rectum shift and grow uncontrollably to form a mass known as a tumor, which is how colorectal cancer or colon cancer begins. A tumor could be malignant or benign. Because a cancerous tumor is malignant, it has the potential to grow and spread to other areas of the body. A benign tumor is one that has the potential to grow but will not spread. Usually, it takes years to achieve these changes. Environmental and genetic factors can both impact the alterations. However, when a person has a rare genetic disease, alterations may take months or years to emerge.

What Causes Colon Cancer

 

Colon cancer typically begins as healthy cells in the colon go through modifications (mutations) in their DNA. A cell's DNA has a collection of instructions that tell it what to do. To maintain the body's proper functioning, healthy cells divide and grow in an orderly fashion. But even when new cells are not needed, cells start to divide when their DNA is damaged and they develop cancer.

The cells grow until they become a tumor. Over time, the cancer cells may grow in number, invading neighboring healthy tissue and destroying it. Additionally, malignant cells could spread to different parts of the body and form deposits there (metastasis).

Colon Cancer Symptoms

1. Change in bowel habits including diarrhea, constipation, or the feeling of incomplete emptying

2. A change in the appearance or consistency of bowel movements such as thin bowel stools

3. Blood in the stools

4. Abdominal pain, bloating or cramping

5. Anal or rectal pain

6. A lump in the anus or rectum

7. Weight loss

8. Unexplained fatigue

9. Fatigue and/or anemia (pale complexion, weakness, and breathlessness)

10. Urinating frequently, at night, or with blood in it, or if the urine turns black, rusty, or brown.

Diagnosis of Colon Cancer

The diagnosis of colorectal cancer treatment is made using a variety of assays. Your doctor will first perform a physical examination on you to check for any abdominal swelling. In order to look for lumps or swelling in the rectum or anus, your doctor will also do a digital rectal examination on you.

Blood tests

To check for any indications that you are losing blood in your stools, you could undergo a blood test. It can also assess your red blood cell count because bowel cancer patients sometimes have low red blood cell counts.

Colonoscopy

A colonoscopy, which looks at the length of the big bowel, is the most effective method of detecting bowel cancer. A flexible tube is placed into the anus and is used to pump air into the colon. Your doctor can check for abnormal tissue that is extracted for additional evaluation using a camera on the end of the tube.

MRI

An MRI scan can reveal the extent of any tumors and creates comprehensive cross-sectional images of the body.

CT Scan

CT scan can be used to check the bowel since they create three-dimensional images of multiple organs at once.

PET Scan

The body is injected with a little quantity of radioactive glucose during a positron emission tomography (PET) scan. Cancer cells will seem brighter when scanned.

Treatment of Colon Cancer

The location, size, and stage of cancer, whether it is recurrent, as well as the patient's present general condition, will all affect the course of treatment. Options for treatment include:

Surgery

Another common method of treating colorectal cancer surgery. When a tumor in the colon or pelvis is cancerous or malignant and cannot be treated with chemotherapy, surgical procedures are performed. Surgery is typically the sole remedy for a malignant tumor in this region. However, a tumor may not always be cancerous, and surgery may be an option if chemotherapy is unable to eliminate the tumor. 

Partial Colectomy

This treatment removes the diseased part of your colon and a little amount of nearby healthy tissue.

Colostomy 

One end of the large intestine is surgically brought out through the abdominal wall. To form a stoma, one end of the colon is diverted during this treatment through an abdominal wall incision. The skin opening where a pouch is attached to collect waste is known as a stoma.

Chemotherapy 

Chemotherapy is one of the most often used forms of colorectal cancer treatment. Chemotherapy is the process of treating cancer in the colon and its numerous components by using a drug or drug combination. Chemotherapy kills cancer cells, but it has negative effects and can occasionally make pre existing diseases worse. Chemotherapy treatments come in a range of shapes and are given in a number of different ways. When thinking about colorectal cancer treatment, it's crucial to go over all your options with your doctor.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a sort of biological therapy that supports your immune system's battle against cancer. Your body's immune system aids in the defense against infections and other disorders. White blood cells, organs, and lymphatic system components make up its composition.

Radiation therapy 

Radiation therapy is yet another option for treating colorectal cancer. This kind of colon cancer treatment employs x-rays to kill malignant cells in the duodenum, pelvis, and stomach. This can be effective in removing large tumors, but it frequently comes with unpleasant side effects such as nausea, vomiting, bone loss, and other discomforts. Typically, the first line of defense against colorectal cancer is chemotherapy.

If you want to undergo treatment for colorectal cancer Over the recent years, our department of oncology has treated a large number of patients with colorectal cancer. You will receive the best colorectal cancer care from our highly skilled Colorectal Cancer Specialist in Coimbatore.