Being diagnosed with any kind of cancer is a life-changing event. Early diagnoses improve just about all cancer patients’ prognoses, and colon cancer is no different. When caught in its early stages, colon cancer is quite treatable, but the situation changes once it begins to spread.
Why Learn About Colon Cancer?
Rates of colon cancer have been falling among elderly populations in recent years, but this potentially devastating illness has been on the rise among younger groups. People shouldn’t assume they’re too young to have colon cancer, especially if they have been exposed to locations or events that could raise their risk. Instead, anyone concerned about colon cancer should contact Hansen & Rosasco or read on to find out how it is diagnosed and treated.
Colon Cancer Screening
In its earliest stages, colon cancer often has no symptoms. Patients wind up receiving early diagnoses either incidentally as a result of going in for other types of medical care or because they have been keeping up with preventive colonoscopies.
Most people don’t start undergoing routine colon cancer screenings until they reach the age of 45, but high-risk patients may need to start earlier. High-risk patients include people who:
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Have a family history of colon cancer or certain types of polyps
Have a personal history of polyps or colon cancer
Have inflammatory bowel disease
Have Lynch syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis, or another hereditary syndrome that can cause colon cancer
Have received radiation to the pelvic area or abdomen for cancer treatment
Screening procedures can include stool sample analysis, colonoscopies, flexible sigmoidoscopies, CT colonography, and capsule colonoscopies.
Receiving a Diagnosis
Colonoscopies are the gold standard for diagnosing colon cancer. This procedure involves using a specialized tool called a colonoscope that is outfitted with a light and a video camera to examine the entire length of the colon. During a diagnostic colonoscopy, a gastroenterologist will also take biopsies of any tissues that look suspicious, such as polyps, and often sample healthy-looking areas of the colon as well. Once the results come back, the gastroenterologist should be able to make a definitive diagnosis.
Options for Treating Colon Cancer
There are both medical and surgical treatments available for colon cancer, and some people also engage in complementary therapies alongside traditional care. The primary types of treatment for colon cancer include the following.
Surgery
Surgery is the best treatment for local tumors. The smallest of them can be removed via colonoscopy, though it’s usually necessary for patients to undergo more substantial procedures to remove the affected part of the colon, plus the fat surrounding it and any affected lymph nodes. In most cases, doctors can reattach a patient’s healthy sections of colon, but a temporary colostomy may still be necessary to allow the bowel time to heal.
Radiation
Radiation therapy can be used either before or after therapy. Doctors may be able to shrink tumors to make surgery easier, or they may suggest radiation following the surgery to destroy any cancer cells left behind.
Medications
Chemotherapy drugs used to treat colon cancer include 5-fluorouracil, capecitabine, irinotecan, oxaliplatin, and others. These drugs kill cancer cells, but they also come with serious side effects. Immunotherapy drugs and targeted therapy drugs may also be prescribed.
Colon Cancer Can Happen to Anyone
Don’t assume that colon cancer only affects older adults. In fact, the rates of this serious cancer are on the rise among younger populations, and people who have been exposed to dangerous levels of carcinogens may be at even greater risk. When in doubt, schedule an appointment to speak with a qualified gastroenterologist.
