Colon Cancer Causes and Prevention

If curing colon cancer is very difficult, it is quite contrary to prevent it. In fact, the majority of cancers of the rectum and colon could be prevented through regular checkup (examination or inspection), healthy lifestyle (eating healthy foods, regular colon cleansing, exercise, etc.), and chemoprevention.

Annual Check-up - annual health checkups is recommended to help detect health problems in their early stages. Early medical visit is the best preventive method to save your life from bowel cancer. Bowel cancer tends to develop in the polyps. Most polyps are present no symptoms at early stage, they are usually discovered at the time of colon cancer screening (digital rectal exam, flexible sigmoidoscopy, Barium enema, colonoscopy or virtual colonoscopy). Being present microscopically, benign colon polyps tend to transform with time into colon cancer. These abnormalities can be detected and removed early during a colonoscopy (a visual examination of examination of the large colon and the distal part of the small bowel) to avoid complications. It is estimated that this procedure could be reduced by 80% the risk of occurrence of intestinal cancer when you begin these tests at around 45, then every 5 or 10 years.

Diet and Lifestyle - it is no doubt that your lifestyle can increase the risk of cancer. The incidence of colorectal cancer (colon cancer or large bowel cancer) is very frequent in places where people practice the following: physical inactivity, excess calories intake (especially of saturated fat, protein, and sugar), alcohol abuse, consumption of a diet rich in red meat, sausages and hot dogs. Conversely, physical activity and a eating a diet rich in fruit and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, watercress, bok choy, etc.) containing antioxidant micronutrients would reduce the risk of cancer or its reoccurrence. In fact, these foods can be used as preventive and curative methods; a diet composed mostly of fruits, cruciferous veggies and fish may reduce the risk or cure certain bowel cancers at their genesis.

Chemoprevention - this method consist of the use of natural or synthetic substances in order to prevent, reverse, or delay the development of cancer cells. Micronutrients such as iron, cobalt, chromium, copper, iodine, manganese, selenium, zinc and molybdenum, as well as other nutrients like calcium, folic acid (Vitamin B9), and certain medications such as aspirin may inhibit cancerogenesis, according to some studies in animals. Others studies show significant inhibition of spontaneous intestinal polyps in mice and rats.

Other substances used in chemoprevention include Cyclooxygenase-2-Selective Inhibitors (COX2), a form of Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that directly targets COX-2, an enzyme responsible for inflammation and peptic ulceration. When it comes to your health, prevention is always better than treatment, which does always lead to cure; make your first step today to prevent or eradicate colon cancer; visit vitalfoodstore.com, or click on the in the resource box below.

Remy Vixamar

Remy is a multi-topic writer with years of experience in nutrition and naturotherapy. He loves to share his own personal beneficial experience with natural alternative to others. For your research on health problems, beauty and personal care, please visit Colon Cancer Prevention

Causes of Colon Cancer and What to Watch For

Colon cancer has had the benefit of several research breakthroughs in the last few years, especially when it comes to determining some of the things that can be the cause or a contributing factor to causing cancer. The bad news is that there are several causes of colon cancer that a huge percentage of the population can check off the list as putting them at risk. Knowing them though can be a huge factor in changing the way you eat and live to better protect yourself from continuing with an unhealthy lifestyle choice. In addition, knowing what to watch for when it comes to colon cancer can also be crucial in a patient's chance of getting an early diagnosis or even going to see a doctor in the first place.

Some of the biggest causes of cancer are items that you have no control over and just have to watch, such as age. Age is one of the highest causes of colon cancer, and as you age your risk of getting colon cancer increases. This is partly because your chance of developing polyps is greater, but also because some of the nutritional and lifestyle choices you make on a daily basis have more of an effect on you and your overall health as time progresses. Other factors that can determine whether or not you are at a greater risk of getting colon cancer, but are not lifestyle choices include gender, genetics and family history. If your family has a history of colon cancer, you might want to be a little more vigilant in avoiding some of the known causes and getting regular checkups.

As far as lifestyle choices that cause cancer go, there are several. Two of the biggest habits that can be cut out with some work and dedication are smoking and alcohol. Both smoking and cancer have been the topic of much research that has gone into the study of colorectal cancer and it was found that when drinking it depends on how much an individual consumes, how often they consume and they type of alcohol they are consuming. In the case of smoking, smoking in general is not good for those who are at risk of developing colon cancer and a large part of it has to do with research that has shown that smoking deposits carcinogens in the colon and increase polyp size.

These examples are some of the biggest causes of cancer, and even though some are not able to be helped, the latter two causes can be dealt with if a patient wants to cut out that risk. In general it is a good idea to get an annual colonoscopy to determine if you are at risk for developing cancer, but some major symptoms to watch for include fatigue, anemia and weight loss. Bleeding in the stool is also a big indicator and a fecal occult blood test can be given to determine if this is caused because of colon cancer or something else entirely.

Clean Your Colon w/ Free Colon Cleansers @ GetFreeColonCleanse.com

Debby Reynolds

What Causes Colon Cancer

There are many potential 'triggers' for colon cancer and a person will probably never find out exactly what caused their particular cancer. Most colon cancers are caused when polyps in the colon change from non-cancerous to cancerous. Most clinical trials focus on very small patient populations and thus the average person gets even more confused when medical reports give results from isolated medical studies.

Cancer is the name for healthy cells that are growing out of control. Colon and rectum cells - that begin to divide too quickly - can result in precancerous cells in your intestine lining. These cells are called polyps. The cancer then actually begins when an area of abnormal cells becomes cancerous.

Medical scientists continue to research what causes normal cells to grow wildly. There are many possible causes of colon cancer, such as:

• Cancer elsewhere in the body
• Certain genetic diseases
• What you eat
• Smoking cigarettes

Colorectal cancer is strongly associated with certain other diseases. High risk people include anyone with history of colon polyps; colon inflammatory disease or pancreatic, breast or ovarian cancer.

Some people inherit medical conditions such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or Gardner's syndrome. These people are almost certain to develop colorectal cancer unless treated early.

What you eat may be making a problem, although the cause-and-effect relationship is still unclear. Fruits and vegetables seem to reduce the risk of colon cancer. While not know for certain animal fat and protein seems to be promoters of colorectal cancer. It may be not the fat and protein, but the method of cooking is usually at high temperatures and that can produce potential carcinogenic substances linked to colorectal cancer.

Smoking cigarettes is a risk factor for colorectal cancer. While smoking does not directly cause colon cancer, it weakens the body in many ways and has no health benefits.

Cancer elsewhere in the body can spread to the colon and cause colon cancer. This is called metastasis. Some medical scientists believe that cancer can spread without metastasis. This occurs, they assume, when the original cancer site sends out chemicals that trigger other sites (in the colon, for example) to become cancerous.

Stephen Goldner is the President of Cancer Information Center and theorganizer of the Colon Cancer Resource and other cancer related web sites. He is a toxicologist and lawyer with almost 40 years experience in the medical field as inventor, developer and innovator of drugs and medical devices for people.

The Colon Cancer Resource website is dedicated to providing a complete understanding of colon cancer and colorectal cancer in clear understandable language for patients and their families.

Stephen Goldner, J.D.

Colon Cancer Statistics

Colon cancer is one of the most feared types of cancer by both men and women. The reason is that colon cancer is now fourth on the most known cancer list in many countries around the world. It is also known to be the second most common cause of death in countries like the United State of America. So, I belive these are some pretty good reasons to fear colon cancer, am I right?

If you belive that these are not good enough reasons to fear colon cancer, then here are some more statistics about this type of cancer. A person that has reached the age of fifty has almost five percent risk of being diagnosed with colon cancer. Furthermore, people at this age have also a three percent risk of dying from colon cancer. If these statistics about colon cancer still do not worry you, then you should also know that a person that dies from colon cancer looses almost thirteen years of his/ her life, which is a pretty big number if you ask me.

Moreover, statistics say that more than eight percent of all colon cancer cases arise from a certain type of polyps called adenomatous. If these polyps are smaller than one centimeter, then the risk of developing colon cancer is less than one percent. However, if these polyps are bigger than one centimeter, then the risk of colon cancer rises. Ten percent of these polyps turn into colon cancer in then years time and more than twenty percent in twenty year' s time. Furthermore as time also passes by the risk of developing colon cancer increase as well. If at the age of forty, the risk of those polyps becoming malignant was about twenty percent, then at fifty it increases to twenty five percent and at the age of seventy the percentage goes as high as fifty.

Most of the colon cancer cases happen in people that are not exposed to any particular risk factors. However, twenty percent of colon cancer cases occur in people with certain risk factors. Family history of colon cancer is the most common of these risk factors. A small percentage of these cases, almost six percent, are also caused by genetic syndromes. People that suffer from ulcerative colitis are also more at risk of developing colon cancer as so are those that have been diagnosed with large polyps or even with colon cancer.

Groshan Fabiola

For more resource on different colon cancer subjects please click this link http://www.colon-cancer-center.com. You can also find valuable information about stage3 colon cancer or even about colon cancer diet

Chemotherapy For Colon Cancer Patients

The majority of people that have been diagnosed with colon cancer will treat this debilitating and deadly disease with a type of chemotherapy treatment. There are several types of chemotherapy that determine how the doctor will give the patient the drugs involved in the healing process.

Each drug that is given to the patient will work well together to kill off the cancer cells that is the patient's body. These drugs can be given to patients in a pill form, intravenously through injection, or intravenously with a pump.
Primary chemotherapy is more often used to treat patients who are far advanced and in which the cancer cells have spread to many different parts of the body. Because it has spread so far surgery is not effective. This particular type chemotherapy treatment will work to shrink the tumor nodules and reduce the effect of the symptoms.

Adjuvant chemotherapy is used after surgery has removed the tumor. However, the surgery may not be able to remove cancer from the infected body. Because of this the adjuvant chemotherapy will work to kill off any remaining cancer cells left behind and that might have spread to other parts of the body.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been designed to treat patients before entering into surgery. The drugs used in this chemotherapy treatment help to shrink the tumor to help the surgeon to find it all and remove it without any problems. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is usually given with radiation.

Chemotherapy Side Effects

Chemotherapy for colon cancer is designed to kill cancer cells that are quickly moving throughout the body. However, it will also kill off the healthy cells that are contained in our bodies. These cells are usually the membranes that line out mouth, the hair follicles, lining of the gastrointestinal tract, and bone marrow. There are numerous side effects from chemotherapy treatments that anyone should expect to see when using these treatments.

Nausea and vomiting
Loss of appetite
Hair loss
Mouth sores
Rash on hands and feet
Diarrhea
Decrease in the immune system
Risk of infections

It is common for people to use Chemotherapy for Colon Cancer to better treat it. Learn more Colon Cancer Facts to better protect your body.

Naomi West

Colon Cancer Survival Rates

Colon cancer survival rates indicate the chances a cancer patient has of surviving the disease for a specified length of time. The rates are by no means a definite indicator of what will happen to a patient; they can at best predict a patient's chances of what might happen to him, if a type of treatment plan is opted for, based on what has happened to other patients in similar circumstances. They serve as a guide to a patient and his family to know what they can expect if they choose a particular type of treatment or if they should consider one at all rather than just opt for pain relievers and sedation.

Colon cancer is a disease of the lower part of the digestive system affecting the colon, rectum and appendix. It is also called colorectal or large bowel cancer. It is the 2nd leading cause of cancer related deaths in the Western World.

Colon cancer when detected in the early stages is one of the most curable of cancers, by as much as 90%. Happily, the colon cancer survival rates have been steadily improving over the past 20 years, because of improved screening that makes treatment possible at the early curable stages. There are over 1 million survivors of the disease in the US today.

As with most cancers, prognosis is determined by the stage at which the disease is diagnosed, the later the stage at which the disease is diagnosed, the lower the survival rate. The Journal of the National Cancer Institute gives these overall survival rates for colon cancer in the US: 93% at stage 1, 85% at stage 2A, 72% at stage 2B, 83% at stage 3A, 64% at stage 3B, 44% at stage 3C and 8% at stage 4.

Colon cancer survival rates also vary depending on where the tumor is located. If the cancerous growth is located in the ascending colon, the 5 year survival rate is 63%, for the transverse colon it is 59% and for the descending colon it is 66%.

Treatment is mainly surgical in which the cancerous section of the bowel is removed and the two open ends are joined. If they can't be joined, a colostomy bag is necessary, in which case the bowel is brought outside the abdominal wall for the bag. Surgery is followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy which improves the survival rate by a further 5-6%.

Overall colon cancer affects men and women of all races equally however, women are more prone to developing colon cancer and men rectal cancer. Being over the age of 50 presents an increased risk factor with the risk for developing the disease increasing with each passing decade. Over 75% of cases are diagnosed in people over the age of 50 however; younger people too are at risk and cannot afford to ignore screening. Smoking, consumption of alcohol, being overweight and living sedentary lifestyles is risk factors as are having a family history of the disease and diabetes.

Since it has been proved that colon cancer survival rates have increased due to increased and improved screening techniques, it is highly recommended that the survival rates be further improved with people over the age of 40 having regular colonoscopies and rectal exams to increase the chances of early detection and treatment.

For more information on colon cancer survival rates please visit: Colon Cancer Survival Rates

Mert Ozge