Causes

- Age is the number factor in being diagnosed with colon cancer. Most of the pa
tients with the cancer are over the age of 50.
- People who drink a lot of alcohol have a higher risk of developing Colon cance
r.
- Diabetes increases the risk of getting Colon cancer because of the failure to
produce penicillin.
- Having a diet with high fat and cholesterol with low fiber increases the risk
of getting Colon cancer.
- Your family medical history plays a large part in getting Colon cancer. If so
meone in your family has or had it then you may also have it some point in your
life.
- Having inflammatory bowel disease affects the chances of getting Colon cancer.
-Lack of exercise and obesity both contribute to getting Colon cancer.
- Smoking tobacco largely increase chances of getting Colon cancer because swall
owing the carcinogens in tobacco ends up in the colon.

Symptoms

-Changes in you bowel habits such as bowel movements either more or less regular
.
- Constipation may be a symptom of Colon cancer.
- Diarrhoea for a long period of time.
- Bright or dark blood in your stools.
- Irregularly black or dark waste.
- Very thin waste or not feeling able to empty your bowels completely.
- Loss of weight when not dieting or trying to lose weight.
- Other symptoms may include abdominal discomfort, bloating, frequent gas pains,
cramps, nausea, vomiting, and loss of apatite.

Organs Affected
Mainly Colon cancer affects the large intestine. If the cancer is not found in
the early stages then the cancer has a high chance of spreading to the liver and
lungs. There is a chance that many other organs could be affected by the cance
r if it isnâ t detected in time.

Duration

There is no limit to how long colon cancer can last. It depends on if it can be
treated and if you survive it. During colon cancer in its early stages it can b
e cured easily but the longer it is until it is discovered then the chances of m
ore complications is at a higher risk.

Treatment

There are three main types of treatment for colon cancer.

- The doctor can perform surgery by going into the patients body from the anal-s
phincter and removing the cancer tissues from the organs affected. The doctor u
ses a tool that has a video camera he looks at to guide a small tool to cut off
the cancer.
- Another way to treat the cancer is with chemo therapy. Chemo therapy drugs to
stop the dividing of the cancerous cells. The drugs can either be taken orally
or injected into a vein. The drugs then go through the body and when they get t
o a cancerous area they start to kill the cancerous cells.
- Radiation is a other way of treating colon cancer. This method uses high pow
ered x-ray machines to kill the cancer cells or keep them from growing.

Prognosis

The 5 year survival rate is

-90% in stage 1
-75% in stage 2
-50% in stage 3
-5% in stage 4
With the survival rate decreasing with ever stage it is a god reason to go to th
e doctor for a annual check for this cancer.
Treatment side effects
Surgery side effects- Diarrhoea, discomfort, bleeding, infection
Radiation side effects- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, bloody stools, rectal leak
age, urinary discomfort, weakness, fever, chills, and other flu like symptoms.
Chemotherapy side effects- hair loss, poor apatite, nausea, vomiting, mouth and
lip sores, infections, bleeding and bruising easily.

Onset

Beginning at age 50 a flexible sigmiodoscopy screening test is recommended ever

three-five years. Patents with a family history of Colon cancer should have thi
s test done earlier. After age 50 the odds of having a colon polyps is much hi
gher. If the polyps is found early then there is a high chance it can be remove
d without open surgery. When a doctor checks for the cancer he does a flexible
sigmiodoscopy or a colonoscopy. With the test he or she can find out if you hav
e colon cancer by looking past the rectum and into the colon for the polyps tumo
ur.