Colorectal cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the colon or rectum. When diagnosed early, 90% of colorectal cancers are completely curable. And yet, more lives are lost each year in the U.S. to colorectal cancer than to breast cancer and AIDS combined. This colorectal cancer overview is a great place to learn about colorectal cancer symptoms, causes, stages, and treatment options.
Anatomy of the Colon and Rectum
The colon is about six feet long and is the part of the body's digestive system that moves waste material from the small intestine to the rectum. The rectum is about eight inches long and serves, basically, as a warehouse for poop. It receives waste material from the colon and stores it until you defecate.
Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer
It's best to get regular screenings rather than rely on symptoms to alert you to the presence of cancer. This is because colorectal cancer can grow for years before causing any symptoms. But, knowing what to look out for can't hurt. Examples of colorectal cancer symptoms include thin stools, stomach cramping, bright red blood in your stool, unexplained weight loss, feeling tired, and feeling like you have to "go" when you don't.
Causes of Colorectal Cancer
Most colorectal cancer is considered sporadic, meaning it occurs in people with no family history of the disease. So, we can blame a lot of things on our family, but usually colorectal cancer isn't one of them. Being age 50 or older is actually the number one risk factor! Some other factors that influence colorectal cancer development include alcohol, diet, exercise, smoking, inflammatory bowel disease, and weight. (Learn more about risk factors for colorectal cancer.)
Let's talk a little bit about the other kinds of colorectal cancer, the ones that aren't sporadic. Approximately 25% of cases are attributed to two types of colorectal cancers: familial and hereditary. Familial colorectal cancer accounts for about 20% of cases and hereditary colorectal cancer accounts for the remaining five percent. Both are attributed to genetic mutations passed from one generation to the next. (Learn more about genetics and colorectal cancer risk.)
Types of Colorectal Cancer
The type of colorectal cancer is usually defined by where the cancer starts. I don't just mean whether it starts in the colon or rectum, but rather, from what kind of cell or tissue (collection of cells) it originates. For example, the most common type of colorectal cancer is adenocarcinoma (literally, "cancer of a gland"). But colorectal cancer can begin in other types of cells, too. Colorectal lymphoma, which is rare but does occur, begins in a lymphocyte (lymph cell). Leiomyosarcoma of the colon, which is also rare, is a cancerous tumor that begins in one of the muscle layers of the colon.
Colorectal Cancer Staging
Colon cancer staging is the process health professionals use to determine where the cancer went when no one was looking. Did it stay in the colon or work its way out of the colon into the lymph nodes or other parts of the body? Determining the colon cancer stage is an important part of choosing an appropriate treatment. In general, the earlier the stage, the easier the cancer is to treat.
Treatment Options for Colorectal Cancer
There are three standard colorectal cancer treatment options: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Another potential option for some patients is immunotherapy. However, surgery is the most common treatment for colorectal cancer and is often combined with chemo/radiation to treat later-stage cancers.
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