Colon Cancer

A Killer in Your Gut?

One of the most devastating afflictions of the colon is Cancer of the Colon. This has become so common that almost everyone knows or has heard of someone affected by it. Here are some amazing statistics:

  • Colorectal cancer takes more lives each year than breast cancer and AIDS combined.
  • Over 150,000 people are diagnosed each year according to the American Cancer Society.
  • Over 50,000 people die from it each year.
  • Someone dies from it every 9.3 minutes.

The term “Colorectal Cancer” actually refers to both cancers of the upper 4 feet of large intestine (colon cancer) and rectal cancer which is the last six inches of the tract. Most cases begin as “adenomatous polyps” which are small benign clumps of cells. Although they are small and don’t usually produce any symptoms, these polyps can evolve into colon cancer.

Symptoms

Once cancer develops, the symptoms can include:

  • Weakness or fatigue
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • A feeling the your bowel doesn’t empty completely
  • Abdominal pain with a bowel movement
  • Rectal bleeding or blood in the stool
  • A change in your bowel habit for more than a couple of weeks – including diarrhea, constipation, or a change in consistency.

Bright red blood on your tissue could be a sign of cancer, but more likely it’s caused by hemorrhoids or minor fissures in the anus. Also, some foods like red licorice or beets can color the stool. Iron supplements and some anti-diarrheal medication can cause the stool to turn black. Nonetheless, it’s best to watch for unexplainable patterns of change and discuss these with your doctor, should it be a sign of a more serious condition.

Causes

Realistically speaking, there is no known direct cause for colon cancer at this time. Cancer generally can occur when healthy cells become altered abnormally. Cells always reproduce to make up for the loss of dying cells and for normal growth. But sometimes this process runs wild and cells are produced with no reason. This is what causes the formation of the polyps. Should this runaway growth continue, it can ultimately penetrate the walls of the colon and spread throughout the lymph nodes and other organs.

Most scientists believe that there is a link between the influx of toxins into the bloodstream from the intestine and the process that causes some of the cells to mutate into the pre-cancerous and cancerous variations. The phrase “garbage in – garbage out” doesn’t take into account the fact that some garbage gets absorbed along the way.

Risk Factors

There are about a dozen factors that have been isolated that could contribute to an increased risk of getting colon cancer. Many of them involve heredity, age and past history. A few however, are some that you can do something about – namely:

  • Diet – Many studies have concluded that there’s an increased risk in people that have diets high in red meat and processed meat as opposed to one that is rich in fiber and low in calories and fat. This is further illustrated by cultural differences in the western countries and the rest of the world. People that move from a developing country to the west and then take on a western diet, have increased rates of colon cancer compared to those retaining a non-western diet.
  • Sedentary Lifestyle – Getting regular physical activity should be on your list of things to do. People that exercise regularly are less likely to develop colon cancer. This is thought to be because if you’re inactive, intestinal waste stays in your colon longer releasing fats and toxins. This premise has also led to the increased interest in colon cleanse products recently.
  • Obesity - Not only do people that are obese have an increased chance of getting colon cancer, they also have an increased risk of dying from it compared to people of normal weight.

What should I do?

If you’re concerned about any symptoms you may have, you should discuss them immediately with your doctor. Even if you’re without symptoms, you should be aware of the risk factors and weigh them into your lifestyle. Although certain groups, such as African Americans, are at greater than average risk and should begin testing earlier in life (like at age 40), doctors generally recommend that everyone over the age of 50 should be screened regularly with one of the procedures available today. These include: stool blood test, stool DNA test, flexible sigmoidoscopy, barium enema test, colonoscopy, and a new technique just released, virtual CT colonography. These procedures are beyond the scope of this article but should be examined in more detail by anyone at risk.

Bottom line is that you should pay attention to what you put into your body and listen to what it tells you. Today’s diets and lifestyles are detrimental to your life! Proper diets, health measures like colon cleanses, and regular visits to your doctor can ensure that you’re doing the very best in taking care of the one body you were issued.