Colon Cancer - Symptoms, Risks and Treatments

Colon Cancer Synptoms in Women - Colon cancer usually begins as a small polyp that attaches to the wall of the intestines. Not all polyps become cancerous but some do. If it is detected while in the early polyp stage, it can be easily treated by removal. This is why colon cancer screening is so important.

Cancerous polyps may not cause any signs or symptoms. These are usually detected through screening tests like a colonoscopy. As it spreads and grows, symptoms can develop. One sign of the disease could be a change in your bowel movements that lasts longer than two weeks. This could be either diarrhea or constipation. You may notice blood in your stools. You might experience abdominal cramps, pain, or gas. You may feel like your bowels do not empty completely. There could be unexplained weight loss and fatigue.

Some people have a higher risk for developing canerous cells than others. Risk factors for colon cancer include age, race, medical history, family history, unhealthy diet, obesity, smoking, drinking alcohol and lack of exercise. Colon cancer occurs more frequently in people over the age of 50 and in the African-American race. People with diets low in fiber and high in fat and calories increase their risk. They also are more likely to become obese. Obese people have an increased risk and are also more likely to die from the disease than people who are of normal weight. Having close family members with colon cancer or polyps can increase the risk due to genetics or the same exposure to carcinogens.

If your medical history includes having polyps, even non-cancerous ones, or inflammatory bowel disease, your risk of may be increased. If you have ever received radiation therapy for another type of cancer, you may be at risk also.

Treatment for colon cancer depends upon the stage at which it is discovered and how far it has spread. If found early while still localized in a polyp, your doctor can remove it while performing a colonoscopy.

If the cells have grown into the walls of your colon, your doctor may still be able to remove it by taking out part of your colon. If enough of your healthy colon remains, the doctor may be able to reattach the healthy parts. If not, the surgeon will attach one end of your colon to your abdominal wall so your bodily waste can drain into a colostomy bag.

When colon cancer is very advanced, the surgeon may operate in order to relieve blockages in the colon in order to relieve symptoms rather than trying to remove the cancer.

Chemotherapy often follows surgery in order to destroy any remaining cancer cells that may have spread throughout the body. Radiation therapy is sometimes used to shrink colon cancer tumors before surgically removing them. It may also be used to help ease symptoms in stages of advanced colon cancer.

You can take steps for prevention. Eat a well balanced, high-fiber diet. Get regular exercise and maintain an ideal weight. Undergo regular medical screenings as recommended by your doctor, which include fecal blood tests yearly and regular sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy exams.

Brent McNutt enjoys talking about urbane scrubs and landau scrubs and networking with healthcare professionals online.

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Belly Bulge Increases Colon Cancer Risk

Colon Cancer Symptoms in Women - Carrying extra weight around your middle, as opposed to the hips or thighs may increase your risk of colon cancer. Men in particular have this risk, although women are not excluded. If you have a high BMI - body mass index - you are at an increased level of risk.

BMI is a measure of someone's weight in relation to height. How do you calculate your own personal BMI? Multiply your weight in pounds X 703 ( lbs X 703). Then divide by the square of your height in inches (inches X inches).

• A BMI under 18 is underweight
• A BMI greater than 25 is considered overweight
• A BMI greater than 30 is obese

For example a women weighing 130lbs who is 5 feet five inches tall would have a BMI of 22 which is in the "normal" range:

Weight: 130 X 703 = 91,390

Height: 65 X 65 = 4225

BMI 21.6

A diet high in fat will not only contribute to obesity and heart disease, it may also increase your BMI and put you at risk for colon cancer as well. A low fat diet high in fiber is your best choice for optimal health. Women should aim for a diet of at least 21 to 25 grams of fiber a day, while men should try to eat 30 to 38 grams of fiber daily. What to eat to get that fiber? Dietary fiber - found mainly in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.

Why is fiber so essential? Unlike other food we consume like fats (oils and nuts), proteins (meat, fish, poultry) or carbohydrates (bread, pasta, sweets) - which your body breaks down and absorbs - fiber isn't digested by your body. Fiber is the part of plant foods that the body can't digest or absorb, it is also called "roughage".

Excellent fiber choices to enhance your diet include:

1. Whole grain products
2. Vegetables
3. Fruits
4. Legumes, beans and peas
5. Seeds and Nuts

Using a colon cleansing supplement every few months will help remove the excess waste in the colon that your low-fiber diet may be failing to eliminate. Try an all natural supplement like Co-Clean.

Jennifer Hughs is the pen name for the health and lifestyles writer who is compensated by Value Marketing, Inc. d/b/a Lab88. The author has 20+ years in the cosmetic and health industries and has worked with leading beauty and health publications.

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Risks of Colon Cancer in Women and Men

Colon Cancer Symptoms In Women - Cancer occurs when something goes wrong with this system, causing uncontrolled cell division and growth. Colon cancer is cancer of the large intestine (colon), the lower part of your digestive system. Most cases of colon cancer begin as small, noncancerous (benign) clumps of cells called adenomatous polyps. Rectal cancer is cancer of the last 6 inches of the colon. Together, they're often referred to as colorectal cancers.

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer killer overall and third most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States in both males and females. Who is at risk for colorectal cancer. Men tend to get colorectal cancer at an earlier age than women, but women live longer so they catch up with men and thus the total number of cases in men and women is equal. Women diagnosed with uterine or ovarian cancer before age 50 are at increased risk of colorectal cancer. Woman with a personal history of breast cancer have only a very slight increase in risk of colorectal cancer. The average age to develop colorectal cancer is 70 years, and 93% of cases occur in persons 50 years of age or older. You have a higher risk for colon cancer if you have:

Cancer elsewhere in the body.

Colorectal polypsCrohn's disease

Family history of colon cancer

Personal history of breast cancer

Ulcerative colitis.

Symptoms of colorectal cancer vary depending on the location of the cancer within the colon or rectum, though there may be no symptoms at all. The most common presenting symptom of colorectal cancer is rectal bleeding. Cancers arising from the left side of the colon generally cause bleeding, or in their late stages may cause constipation, abdominal pain, and obstructive symptoms. On the other hand, right-sided colon lesions may produce vague abdominal aching, but are unlikely to present with obstruction or altered bowel habit. Other symptoms such as weakness, weight loss, or anemia resulting from chronic blood loss may accompany cancer of the right side of the colon.

The first step to avoiding this ailment is prevention with regular tests at the doctor, but there are other ways of getting around this disease in between checkups. Nevertheless, it appears that increasing the fiber content in the Western diet would be useful in the primary prevention of colorectal cancer. It is recommended that physical activity messages promoting at least 30-45 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity on most days of the week be included in primary prevention interventions for cancer. The population prevalence for meeting proposed physical activity criteria for colon cancer prevention is low and much lower than that related to the more generic public health recommendations.

Our bodies need lots of calcium and not only for building strong bones. Colon cancer prevention is one of the most exciting uses for calcium. However, instead of using calcium supplements, this study relied on low-fat dairy products to supply 1,200mg calcium per day. Investigators found this amount of calcium decreased the incidence of changes in the cells lining the colon, which is often seen in the initial stages of colon cancer. A significant protective factor is adequate dietary calcium intake during the period of maximum growth (ages 9-25 y), so that proper peak bone mass is achieved by age 20-30 y and maintained until mid-life, with only slow bone loss in the following years. As already noted, dietary surveys indicate a significant gap between the recommended calcium intake and the actual intake in the United States in the critical years of adolescence and young adulthood and later in life.

It is believe that the time has come for a full scientific review of cereal-grain enrichment with calcium and vitamin D as a low-cost, safe, and useful route for the reduction of osteoporosis and colon cancer in the United States in both men and women. Find more about Risks of Colon Cancer in Women and Men

Paul Rodgers specializes in marketing natural health and beauty products

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