cancer stages

cancer stages

Colon Cancer Signs

When colorectal cancer first develops, there may be no symptoms at all. But as the cancer grows, it can cause changes that people should watch for. Common signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer include:

•     a change in the frequency of bowel movements
•     diarrhea, constipation, or feeling that the bowel does not empty completely
•     either bright red or very dark blood in the stool
•     stools that are narrower than usual
•     general abdominal discomfort such as frequent gas pains, bloating, fullness, and/or cramps
•     weight loss with no known reason
•     constant tiredness
•     vomiting

These symptoms may be caused by colorectal cancer or by other conditions. It is important to check with a doctor if you have symptoms because only a doctor can make a diagnosis. Don't wait to feel pain. Early cancer usually doesn't cause pain.

Colon cancer facts

    Colorectal cancer is a malignant tumor arising from the inner wall of the large intestine.

    Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer in males and fourth in females in the U.S.

    Risk factors for colorectal cancer include heredity, colon polyps, and long-standing ulcerative colitis.

    Most colorectal cancers develop from polyps. Removal of colon polyps can prevent colorectal cancer.

    Colon polyps and early cancer can have no symptoms. Therefore regular screening is important.

    Diagnosis of colorectal cancer can be made by barium enema or by colonoscopy with biopsy confirmation of cancer tissue.

    Treatment of colorectal cancer depends on the location, size, and extent of cancer spread, as well as the health of the patient.
    Surgery is the most common treatment for colorectal cancer.

    Chemotherapy can extend life and improve quality of life for those living with colorectal cancer.

What is cancer?

Every day within our bodies, a massive process of destruction and repair occurs. The human body is comprised of about fifteen trillion cells, and every day billions of cells wear out or are destroyed. In most cases, each time a cell is destroyed the body makes a new cell to replace it, trying to make a cell that is a perfect copy of the cell that was destroyed because the replacement cell must be capable of performing the same function as the destroyed cell. During the complex process of replacing cells, many errors occur. Despite remarkably elegant systems in place to prevent errors , the body still makes tens of thousands of mistakes daily while replacing cells either because of random errors or because there are outside pressures placed on the replacement process that promote errors. Most of these mistakes are corrected by additional elegant systems or the mistake leads to the death of the newly made cell, and another normal new cell is produced. Sometimes a mistake is made, however, and is not corrected. Many of the uncorrected mistakes have little effect on health, but if the mistake allows the newly made cell to divide independent of the checks and balances that control normal cell growth, that cell can begin to multiply in an uncontrolled manner. When this happens a tumor (essentially a mass of abnormal cells) can develop.

Tumors fall into two categories; there are benign tumors and malignant (cancerous) tumors. So what is the difference? The answer is that a benign tumor grows only in the tissue from which it arises. Benign tumors sometimes can grow quite large or rapidly and cause severe symptoms, even death, although most do not. For example, a fibroid tumor in a woman's uterus can cause bleeding or pain, but it will never travel outside the uterus and grow as a new tumor elsewhere. Fibroids, like all benign tumors, lack the capacity to shed cells into the blood and lymphatic system, so they are unable to travel to other places in the body and grow. A cancer, on the other hand, can shed cells that can float like dandelion seeds in the wind through the blood or lymphatic system, landing in tissues distant from the primary tumor and growing into new tumors in these distant tissues. This process of spreading to distant tissues, called metastasis, is the defining characteristic of a cancerous tumor.

Cancer often is referred to as a single entity, but in fact, it is a group of more than 100 different diseases, much like infectious diseases. Cancers are named by the tissues from which the first tumor arises. Hence, a lung cancer that travels to the liver is not a liver cancer but is described as lung cancer metastatic to the liver, and a breast cancer that spreads to the brain is not described as a brain tumor but rather as breast cancer metastatic to the brain. Each cancer is a different disease with different treatment options and varying prognoses (likely outcomes). In fact, each individual with cancer has a unique disease, and the relative success or lack thereof of treatment among patients with the same diagnosis may be very different. As a result, it is important to treat each person with a diagnosis of cancer as an individual regardless of the type of cancer.

What is cancer of the colon and rectum?

The colon and the rectum are the final portions of the tube that extends from the mouth to the anus. Food enters the mouth where it is chewed and then swallowed. It then travels through the esophagus and into the stomach. In the stomach, the food is ground into smaller particles and then enters the small intestine in a carefully controlled manner. In the small intestine, final digestion of food and absorption of the nutrients contained in the food occurs. The food that is not digested and absorbed enters the large intestine or colon and finally the rectum. The large intestine is about six feet long and acts primarily as a storage facility for waste; however, additional water, salts, and some vitamins are further removed. In addition, some of the undigested food, for example, fiber, is digested by colonic bacteria and some of the products of digestion are absorbed from the colon and into the body. (It is estimated that 10% of the energy derived from food comes from these products of bacterial digestion in the colon.) The remaining undigested food, dying cells from the lining of the intestines, and large numbers of bacteria are stored in the colon and then periodically passed into the rectum. Their arrival into the rectum initiates a bowel movement that empties the colonic contents from the body as stool.

Most of the large intestine rests inside a cavity in the abdomen called the peritoneal cavity. Parts of the colon are able to move quite freely within the peritoneal cavity as the undigested food is passing through it. As the colon heads towards the rectum, it becomes fixed to the tissues behind the peritoneal cavity, an area called the retroperitoneum. The end portion of the large intestine, the part that resides in the retroperitoneum, is the rectum. Unlike much of the rest of the colon, the rectum is fixed in place by the tissues that surround it. Because of its location, treatment for rectal cancer often is different than treatment for cancer of the rest of the colon, as we'll explain later.



Treatment & Care

Many colon cancer treatment options are available for colorectal cancer, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Here’s what to expect from each type of treatment and tips for recovery.

Treatment

Colon Polyp Removal and Other Precancerous Conditions

Learn how colon polyps are removed and why it’s so important to stay on top of these and other precancerous conditions.
Colorectal Cancer Treatment

Here’s a quick rundown of the options available for colorectal cancer treatment from surgery to cutting-edge biologic therapy.
Colon Cancer: Treatment by Stage

Here you’ll find detailed information on how the various stages of colon cancer are treated -- from stage 0 to stage IV and also recurrent colon cancer.
Rectal Cancer Treatment by Stage

Here you’ll find detailed information on how the various stages of rectal cancer are treated -- from stage 0 to stage IV and also recurrent rectal cancer.
Colon Cancer Chemotherapy

Learn about the different ways chemotherapy is used to treat colon cancer and rectal cancer and the side effects of commonly used chemotherapy drugs.
New Colon Cancer Drugs: Avastin and Erbitux

New medications called monocolonal antibodies are the latest options for treating colon cancer and rectal cancer. Learn more here.
Understanding Colostomy and Colon Cancer

Some people require a colostomy -- an opening between the surface of the skin and the colon -- after colon cancer surgery. It can be permanent or temporary. Learn when it may be necessary.
Surgery to Treat Colorectal Cancer

Learn more about surgery to treat colorectal cancer here.
Care
Colon Cancer Specialists: What to Look for

People with colorectal cancer often encounter several types of doctors when going through treatment. Learn about the different specialists and find out how to build your cancer team.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Colon Cancer

Be your own best advocate. Know which questions to ask your doctor about your type of colorectal cancer.
Your Doctor: Your Cancer Partner

Partnering with your doctor helps give you a sense of control and may lead to better treatment. Here’s how to get started.
Related Guide: Managing Colon Cancer Pain

Getting control of pain that you may have is vitally important. Find out what causes cancer pain and which treatments may be right for you.
Video: New Approach to Colorectal Cancer Pain

Learn about a new way some doctors are using to gauge a patient’s level of pain -- and determine if more -- or less -- pain treatment is needed in this WebMD video.
Video: Cupping: Alternative Medicine for Cancer Pain

Learn about cupping, an alternative medicine treatment for cancer pain, in this WebMD video.
Colon Cancer and Nausea

Thanks to new drugs and other treatments, you can control nausea from chemotherapy. Find out how.
Chemotherapy and Colon Cancer Side Effects

Learn simple ways to cope with the “terrible triad” of nausea, hair loss, and fatigue from chemotherapy.
Tool: Anemia in Colon Cancer

Tired and worn out? Check out WebMD’s animated guide on chemotherapy-related anemia to see if anemia may be the cause.
Am I Cured? Understanding Your Colon Cancer Prognosis

What does the future hold? Learn more about the outlook for colorectal cancer and what happens if the cancer comes back.
Follow-Up Care for Colon Cancer

Regular checkups help ensure that any changes in your health are noticed; and if the cancer returns, it can be treated as soon as possible.
Clinical Trials
Colorectal Cancer Clinical Trials

Learn about colorectal cancer clinical trials. Then, check out sites chosen by WebMD doctors that offer information and services to help you determine if a clinical trial may be right for you.