Together, colon and rectal cancers are frequently referred to as colorectal cancers because they affect the lower portion of your digestive system, the large intestine (colon).
Adenomatous polyps, which are small, noncancerous (benign) cell clusters, are the initial stage of colon cancer in the majority of cases, and some of these polyps eventually develop into cancerous tumors.
Doctors advise routine screening tests to help prevent colon cancer by identifying and removing polyps before they develop into colon cancer because they may be small and produce few, if any, symptoms.
CausesDoctors know that colon cancer occurs when healthy cells in the colon develop DNA errors, but the majority of the time, the exact cause of colon cancer is unknown.
When a cell’s DNA is damaged and turns cancerous, cells continue to divide — even when new cells aren’t needed — and as the cells build up, they form a tumor. Healthy cells grow and divide in an orderly manner to keep your body functioning normally.
Cancer cells have the ability to spread to other parts of the body and can develop over time to invade and ravage nearby normal tissue.
colon cancer-risk-raising inherited gene mutations
Although only a small percentage of colon cancers are associated with inherited genes, inherited gene mutations can significantly raise an individual’s risk of developing colon cancer and can be passed down through families.
The most prevalent types of inherited syndromes for colon cancer are:
Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC).People with HNPCC, also known as Lynch syndrome, are more likely to develop colon cancer before the age of 50 and are also at an increased risk of developing other cancers.
Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP).Untreated FAP increases the risk of colon cancer developing before the age of 40 and is a rare disorder that results in the development of thousands of polyps in the lining of the colon and rectum.
If you’re worried about your family’s history of colon cancer, talk to your doctor about whether your family history suggests you have a risk of FAP, HNPCC, and other, more uncommon inherited colon cancer syndromes that can be detected through genetic testing.
Linked to a higher risk of colon cancer is diet
A typical Western diet, which is high in fat and low in fiber, has been linked to an increased risk of colon cancer in studies of large populations of individuals.
It is unclear why this occurs, but colon cancer risk significantly rises in people who move from regions where the typical diet is low in fat and high in fiber to regions where the typical Western diet is most prevalent. Researchers are investigating whether a high-fat, low-fiber diet affects the microbes that live in the colon or causes underlying inflammation that may increase cancer risk.
Colon cancer signs and symptoms include the following:
A change in your bowel habits that lasts longer than four weeks, such as diarrhea, constipation, or a change in the consistency of your stool.
Blood in the stool or rectal bleeding
Consistent abdominal aches, cramps, or pain, including gas.
Feeling as though your bowels aren’t completely empty
· Weakness or fatigue
· Unexplained weight loss
Depending on the size and location of the cancer in your large intestine, your symptoms may vary when they do. In the early stages of the disease, many people with colon cancer don’t have any symptoms.
Your risk of developing colon cancer may be increased by a number of factors, including:
Older age.Colon cancer can occur in younger people, but it happens much less frequently, and the vast majority of people who are diagnosed with it are over 50.
African-American race.People of other races are more likely to develop colon cancer than African-Americans.
A personal history of colorectal cancer or polyps.You are more likely to develop colon cancer in the future if you have ever had adenomatous polyps or colon cancer.
Inflammatory intestinal conditions.Your risk of colon cancer can increase if you have chronic inflammatory colon diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
Inherited syndromes that increase colon cancer risk.Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer, also known as Lynch syndrome, and familial adenomatous polyposis are two genetic syndromes that have been passed down through your family’s generations and have been linked to an increased risk of colon cancer.
Family history of colon cancer.Having a parent, sibling, child, or more than one family member with colon cancer or rectal cancer increases your risk of developing the disease.
Low-fiber, high-fat diet.Some studies have found an increased risk of colon cancer in people who eat diets high in red meat and processed meat, but other studies have found no association between diets high in red meat and processed meat and the development of rectal or colon cancer.
A sedentary lifestyle.Being physically active on a regular basis may lower your risk of developing colon cancer, which is more likely to occur in those who aren’t active.
Diabetes.Insulin resistance and diabetes may increase a person’s risk of developing colon cancer.
Obesity.When compared to people who are considered to be of a normal weight, obese individuals have a higher risk of developing colon cancer and a higher risk of dying from the disease.
Smoking.Colon cancer risk may be higher for smokers.
Alcohol.Colon cancer risk may rise with heavy alcohol consumption.
Radiation therapy for cancer.Colon cancer risk may be increased by abdominal radiation therapy used to treat prior cancers.
Diagnosis–IIf you have colon cancer and your symptoms point to it, your doctor may advise one or more of the following tests and procedures:
Using a scope to examine the inside of your colon.Through a long, flexible, and thin tube connected to a camera and monitor, your doctor can view your entire colon and rectum during a colonoscopy, and if any suspicious areas are identified, they can use the tube to take tissue samples (biopsies) for further examination.
Blood tests.The results of a blood test can provide information about your general health, such as kidney and liver function tests, but they cannot diagnose colon cancer.
The amount of CEA in your blood can be tracked over time to help your doctor determine your prognosis and whether your cancer is responding to treatment. Your doctor may also perform a blood test for a substance occasionally produced by colon cancers known as carcinoembryonic antigen, or CEA.
Staging of colon cancer
The extent (stage) of your colon cancer will be determined by tests that your doctor will order in order to help him or her decide what treatments would be most effective for you.
It’s common for the stage of your cancer to not be identified until after colon cancer surgery, and staging tests may include imaging techniques like abdominal and chest CT scans.
The colon cancer progression stages are:
Stage I.However, it hasn’t spread past the colon wall or rectum; your cancer has only grown through the mucosa of the colon’s or rectum’s superficial lining.
Stage II.However, it hasn’t spread to nearby lymph nodes; instead, it has grown into or through the wall of the colon or rectum.
Stage III.Despite not yet affecting other areas of your body, your cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes.
Stage IV.The location of your cancer has spread, for example, to your liver or lung, as well as to other organs.
HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES
There are many effective medicines available in homoeopathy for colon cancer, but the choice depends on the individuality of the patient, taking the patient’s mental and physical health into consideration. Homoeopathy is a rapidly expanding system that is practiced all over the world. Its strength lies in its evident effectiveness as it takes a holistic approach towards the sick individual through promotion of inner balance at mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical levels.
HYDRASTIS CANADENSIS Q-Hydrastis is a great remedy for colon cancer with loud, rumbling, and aching pain in the abdomen that is made worse by movement, cutting, colicky pain in the abdomen that is made better after passing flatus, sharp pain in the cecal region, pain in the groin that feels like he has pulled a muscle, constipation with sinking feeling in stomach, gripping pains with the stools, and a bitter, peppery taste in the mouth.
CONIUM MACULATUM 3CConium Mac is effective for colon cancer patients who experience bruised, swollen, knife-like pains, hard, distended abdomens that get worse after consuming dairy products, trembling weakness, heart palpitations after each bowel movement, and a tight, excruciating feeling in the abdomen.
NITRIC ACID 3CNitric acid is very effective in treating colon cancer, which manifests as bright red rectal bleeding during stools, intense cutting pain that lasts for hours, and abdominal colic that is relieved by tightening cloths.
CARBO ANIMALIS 200– Carbo animalis is effective for treating colon cancer, which is characterized by a feeling of a hard body in the groin, particularly on the left side, which is worse when sitting and better when pressure is applied, as well as moisture oozing from the anus.
ALUMINA 30– Alumina is prescribed for colon cancer patients who experience severe constipation, including hard, dry, knotty stools that stay in the rectum for an extended period of time without being desired and require extreme straining to pass, even a soft stool.
ALOE SOCOTRINA 3CColic with diarrhea, a cutting pain in the rectus before and during bowel movements, and an enlarged, swollen, and full abdomen are all symptoms of colon cancer, which aloes is a great treatment for.
HAMAMELIS VIRGINIANA Q-When colon cancer sufferers experience bleeding through the rectum, hamamelis is recommended.
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