Last Stages Of Colon Cancer

Colorectal cancer , also called colon cancer or large bowel cancer , includes cancerous growths in the colon, rectum and appendix. It is the third most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the Western world. Colorectal cancer causes 655,000 deaths worldwide per year, including about 16,000 in the UK, where it is the second most common site (after lung) to cause cancer death. Many colorectal cancers are thought to arise from adenomatous polyps in the colon. These mushroom-like growths are usually benign, but some may develop into cancer over time. The majority of the time, the diagnosis of localized colon cancer is through colonoscopy. Therapy is usually through surgery, which in many cases is followed by chemotherapy.

Symptoms

The first symptoms of colon cancer are usually vague, like weight loss and fatigue (tiredness). Local (bowel) symptoms are rare until the tumor has grown to a large size. Generally, the nearer the tumor is to the anus, the more bowel symptoms there will be.

Symptoms and signs are divided into local, constitutional and metastatic.

Local symptoms

• Change in bowel habits
  • Change in frequency (constipation and/or diarrhea),
  • Feeling of incomplete defecation (tenesmus) and reduction in diameter of stool, both characteristic of rectal cancer,
  • Change in the appearance of stools :
    • Bloody stools or rectal bleeding
    • Stools with mucus
    • Black, tar-like stool (melena), more likely related to upper gastrointestinal eg stomach or duodenal disease
• Bowel obstruction causing bowel pain, bloating and vomiting of stool-like material.
• A tumor in the abdomen, felt by patients or their doctors.
• Symptoms related to invasion by the cancer of the bladder causing hematuria (blood in the urine) or pneumaturia (air in the urine), or invasion of the vagina causing smelly vaginal discharge. These are late events, indicative of a large tumor.

Constitutional (systemic) symptoms

• Unexplained weight loss, probably the most common symptom, caused by lack of appetite
• Anemia, causing dizziness, fatigue and palpitations. Clinically, there will be pallor and blood tests will confirm the low hemoglobin level.

Metastatic symptoms

• Liver metastases, causing :
  • Jaundice.
  • Pain in the abdomen, more often the upper part of epigastrium or right side of the abdomen
  • liver enlargement, usually felt by a doctor.
• Blood clots in the veins and arteries, a paraneoplastic syndrome related to hypercoagulability of the blood (the blood is "thickened")

Risk factors

The lifetime risk of developing colon cancer in the United States is about 7%. Certain factors increase a person's risk of developing the disease. These include:

• Age. The risk of developing colorectal cancer increases with age. Most cases occur in the 60s and 70s, while cases before age 50 are uncommon unless a family history of early colon cancer is present.
• Polyps of the colon, particularly adenomatous polyps, are a risk factor for colon cancer. The removal of colon polyps at the time of colonoscopy reduces the subsequent risk of colon cancer.
• History of cancer. Individuals who have previously been diagnosed and treated for colon cancer are at risk for developing colon cancer in the future. Women who have had cancer of the ovary, uterus, or breast are at higher risk of developing colorectal cancer.
• Heredity:
  • Family history of colon cancer, especially in a close relative before the age of 55 or multiple relatives
  • Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) carries a near 100% risk of developing colorectal cancer by the age of 40 if untreated
  • Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) or Lynch syndrome
• Long-standing ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease of the colon, approximately 30% after 25 years if the entire colon is involved
• Smoking. Smokers are more likely to die of colorectal cancer than non-smokers. An American Cancer Society study found that "Women who smoked were more than 40% more likely to die from colorectal cancer than women who never had smoked. Male smokers had more than a 30% increase in risk of dying from the disease compared to men who never had smoked."
• Diet. Studies show that a diet high in red meat and low in fresh fruit, vegetables, poultry and fish increases the risk of colorectal cancer. In June 2005, a study by the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition suggested that diets high in red and processed meat, as well as those low in fiber, are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Individuals who frequently eat fish showed a decreased risk. However, other studies have cast doubt on the claim that diets high in fiber decrease the risk of colorectal cancer; rather, low-fiber diet was associated with other risk factors, leading to confounding. The nature of the relationship between dietary fiber and risk of colorectal cancer remains controversial.
• Physical inactivity. People who are physically active are at lower risk of developing colorectal cancer.
• Virus. Exposure to some viruses (such as particular strains of human papilloma virus) may be associated with colorectal cancer.
• Primary sclerosing cholangitis offers a risk independent to ulcerative colitis
• Low selenium.
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease. About one percent of colorectal cancer patients have a history of chronic ulcerative colitis. The risk of developing colorectal cancer varies inversely with the age of onset of the colitis and directly with the extent of colonic involvement and the duration of active disease. Patients with colorectal Crohn's disease have a more than average risk of colorectal cancer, but less than that of patients with ulcerative colitis.
• Environmental Factors. Industrialized countries are at a relatively increased risk compared to less developed countries or countries that traditionally had high-fiber/low-fat diets. Studies of migrant populations have revealed a role for environmental factors, particularly dietary, in the etiology of colorectal cancers.
• Exogenous Hormones. The differences in the time trends in colorectal cancer in males and females could be explained by cohort effects in exposure to some sex-specific risk factor; one possibility that has been suggested is exposure to estrogens . There is, however, little evidence of an influence of endogenous hormones on the risk of colorectal cancer. In contrast,there is evidence that exogenous estrogens such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), tamoxifen, or oral contraceptives might be associated with colorectal tumors.
• Alcohol. Drinking, especially heavily, may be a risk factor.

Alcohol

The WCRF panel report Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective finds the evidence "convincing" that alcoholic drinks increase the risk of colorectal cancer in men.

The NIAAA reports that: "Epidemiologic studies have found a small but consistent dose-dependent association between alcohol consumption and colorectal cancereven when controlling for fiber and other dietary factors. Despite the large number of studies, however, causality cannot be determined from the available data."

"Heavy alcohol use may also increase the risk of colorectal cancer" (NCI). One study found that "People who drink more than 30 grams of alcohol per day (and especially those who drink more than 45 grams per day) appear to have a slightly higher risk for colorectal cancer." Another found that "The consumption of one or more alcoholic beverages a day at baseline was associated with approximately a 70% greater risk of colon cancer."

One study found that "While there was a more than twofold increased risk of significant colorectal neoplasia in people who drink spirits and beer, people who drank wine had a lower risk. In our sample, people who drank more than eight servings of beer or spirits per week had at least a one in five chance of having significant colorectal neoplasia detected by screening colonoscopy.".

Other research suggests that "to minimize your risk of developing colorectal cancer, it's best to drink in moderation."

On its colorectal cancer page, the National Cancer Institute does not list alcohol as a risk factor: however, on another page it states, "Heavy alcohol use may also increase the risk of colorectal cancer"

Drinking may be a cause of earlier onset of colorectal cancer.

Diagnosis, screening and monitoring

Posted at  3pm on 19/08/08 | Filed Under: Read on

What'll they get paid to tell us nextResearchers have long been puzzled by the fact that some of medicine’s most touted new cancer drugs work only 10% to 20% of the time against many common tumors.

cancer - Google News
cancer - Google News

Those at risk for breast cancer are having mastectomies - Newsday
20 Aug 2008 at 2:03am

Sydney Morning Herald
Those at risk for breast cancer are having mastectomies
Newsday, NY - 7 hours ago
BY DELTHIA RICKS | delthia.ricks@newsday.com Women at elevated risk for breast cancer - or a recurrence of the disease - increasingly are choosing double ...
Applegate talks about cancer fight RTE.ie
Christina Applegate cancer free after double mastectomy Reuters
Applegate cancer -free after double mastectomy ABC Online
E! Online - Media Take Out
all 1,022 news articles
Inspirational Pittsburgh-area teen dies of cancer - The Associated Press
19 Aug 2008 at 10:31pm

Chatter Shmatter
Inspirational Pittsburgh-area teen dies of cancer
The Associated Press - 10 hours ago
PITTSBURGH (AP) ? John Challis, who inspired professional players with his battle against cancer , died at his parents' suburban Pittsburgh home on Tuesday. ...
A-Rod reacts to cancer patient's death MLB.com
John Challis Dies From Cancer At 18 Chatter Shmatter
Freedom teenager John Challis dies of cancer Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Pittsburgh Channel.com - Monessen Valley Independent
all 123 news articles
Tearful Jade Goody arrives back in UK after cancer diagnosis - Times Online
20 Aug 2008 at 6:58am

Times Online
Tearful Jade Goody arrives back in UK after cancer diagnosis
Times Online, UK - 2 hours ago
Reality TV star Jade Goody broke down in tears last night as she arrived back in the UK after being diagnosed with cancer . Goody, 27, learned she had ...
Jade Goody knew she may have cancer Oneindia
Goody back home for cancer tests BBC News
On-screen cancer shock for Goody Scotsman
Times of India - Hindu
all 1,520 news articles
Protest vow from cancer patient over ?too costly? treatment - WalesOnline
20 Aug 2008 at 2:23am

BBC News
Protest vow from cancer patient over ?too costly? treatment
WalesOnline, United Kingdom - 7 hours ago
A FORMER town mayor with terminal cancer has pledged to refuse life-prolonging drugs unless they are prescribed to all patients likely to benefit from them. ...
Cancer patients' drugs woe Manchester Evening News
?Diabolical? NHS stops vital drug Get Bracknell
Authority 'on back foot' over cancer treatment Oxford Mail
Times Online - Financial Times
all 523 news articles
Beyonce, Rihanna, Fergie team up for cancer-fighting single - NME.com
19 Aug 2008 at 12:08pm

Singersroom News
Beyonce, Rihanna, Fergie team up for cancer -fighting single
NME.com, UK - 21 hours ago
All proceeds from sales of the single will go toward , an initiative of the that calls on the entertainment industry to help fight cancer , reports the . ...
Mariah, Miley, Beyonce join voices to fight cancer The Associated Press
Female Singing Stars 'Stand Up' To Cancer KIROtv.com
'Just Stand Up' Star-Studded Charitable Single Sets Pace for Stand ... MarketWatch
all 148 news articles
U. of C. professor, Argonne researcher helped improve cancer scans - Chicago ...
20 Aug 2008 at 2:02am

U. of C. professor, Argonne researcher helped improve cancer scans
Chicago Tribune, United States - 7 hours ago
Mr. Beck took over as chief scientist at the Argonne Cancer Research Hospital in 1957 and joined the U. of C. faculty seven years later, eventually becoming ...
Bayhealth joins cancer network CBS 3
Bayhealth joins Penn cancer system The News Journal
Bayhealth Medical Center and University of Pennsylvania Health ... MarketWatch
Bizjournals.com - WDEL 1150AM
all 31 news articles
Critics question cervical cancer vaccine - Seattle Times
20 Aug 2008 at 2:09am

New York Times
Critics question cervical cancer vaccine
Seattle Times, United States - 7 hours ago
By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL Dr. Diane Harper, a professor of medicine at Dartmouth Medical School, in Hanover, NH, says Merck, a cervical- cancer vaccine maker, ...
Cervical cancer vaccine is popular, but fails to cure doubts International Herald Tribune
Drug Makers? Push Leads to Cancer Vaccines? Fast Rise BlueRidgeNow.com
Will Gardasil special help Merck? FiercePharma
Wall Street Journal Blogs
all 20 news articles
Local collaboration yields cancer discovery - MLive.com
20 Aug 2008 at 8:14am

MLive.com
Local collaboration yields cancer discovery
MLive.com, MI - 1 hour ago
The process the scientists used also holds promise for finding the causes and cures for other kinds of cancers , researchers said, and it could lead to ...
Enzyme That Sensitizes Cells To Chemotherapeutics Could Also Be ... Medical News Today (press release)
all 3 news articles
Reheated tomato sauce aids cancer - The Press Association
20 Aug 2008 at 8:10am

Reheated tomato sauce aids cancer
The Press Association - 1 hour ago
A recipe for super-healthy tomato toppings that fight cancer has been cooked up by scientists. Processing tomatoes into purees or sauces was already known ...
Turning Up the Heat on Tomatoes Boosts Absorption of Lycopene Newswise (press release)
all 4 news articles
New way to spot bowel cancer could save lives: study - AFP
20 Aug 2008 at 6:16am

BBC News
New way to spot bowel cancer could save lives: study
AFP - 3 hours ago
PARIS (AFP) ? Researchers in Britain have developed a more accurate technique for spotting the most aggressive forms of bowel cancer , according to a new ...
Tag for aggressive bowel cancer BBC News
Stem cell marker gives new clue to bowel cancer Telegraph.co.uk