Colon Cancer

Question: What is the difference between Colon Cancer and Intestinal Cancer? And how does one get screened for Intestinal cancer? Colon cancer runs in my family and I have a colonoscopy every year. But I found out that a close relative has Intestinal cancer.

Answer: As other peole pointed out, "colon" cancer is a cancer specific of the large intestin, whereas "intestinal" cancer could affect any part of the intestine (including the small intestine, i.e. duodenum, ileum and jujenum). If colon cancer runs in your family, you are likely to have FAP, or Familial adenomatous polyposis, an inherited colorectal cancer syndrome. People with the classic type of familial adenomatous polyposis may begin to develop multiple noncancerous (benign) polyps (growths) in the colon as early as their teenage years. This cancer usually develops in the lower part of the digestive system, including the large intestine (colon) and rectum. However, the FAP syndrome could present a risk factor for the cancer of the small intestine (what your relative might have), therefore this person could also carry the genetic mutation that confers cancer predisposition (the APC gene, in the case of FAP). Feel free to contact me for more information

Question: What is the difference in the stages of colon cancer? my boyfriend has 4th stage colon cancer. They removed some of the colon. they now say both lobes of his liver have cancer spots and they are concerned about a spot on his lung.

Answer: As colon cancer progresses from Stage 0 to Stage IV, the cancer cells grow through the layers of the colon wall and spread to lymph nodes and other organs. Stage 0 (Carcinoma in Situ) In stage 0, abnormal cells are found in the innermost lining of the colon. These abnormal cells may become cancer and spread into nearby normal tissue. Stage 0 is also called carcinoma in situ. Stage I In stage I, cancer has formed and spread beyond the innermost tissue layer of the colon wall to the middle layers. Stage I colon cancer is sometimes called Dukes A colon cancer. Stage II Stage II colon cancer is divided into stage IIA and stage IIB. Stage IIA: Cancer has spread beyond the middle tissue layers of the colon wall or has spread to nearby tissues around the colon or rectum. Stage IIB: Cancer has spread beyond the colon wall into nearby organs and/or through the peritoneum. Stage II colon cancer is sometimes called Dukes B colon cancer. Stage III Stage III colon cancer is divided into stage IIIA, stage IIIB, and stage IIIC. Stage IIIA: Cancer has spread from the innermost tissue layer of the colon wall to the middle layers and has spread to as many as 3 lymph nodes. Stage IIIB: Cancer has spread to as many as 3 nearby lymph nodes and has spread: beyond the middle tissue layers of the colon wall; or to nearby tissues around the colon or rectum; or beyond the colon wall into nearby organs and/or through the peritoneum. Stage IIIC: Cancer has spread to 4 or more nearby lymph nodes and has spread: to or beyond the middle tissue layers of the colon wall; or to nearby tissues around the colon or rectum; or to nearby organs and/or through the peritoneum. Stage III colon cancer is sometimes called Dukes C colon cancer. Stage IV In stage IV, cancer may have spread to nearby lymph nodes and has spread to other parts of the body, such as the liver or lungs. Stage IV colon cancer is sometimes called Dukes D colon cancer.

Question: How long does it take to recuperate from colon cancer surgery? How long does it take to recuperate from a surgery that is supposed to eliminate colon cancer?

Answer: My Mom survived colon cancer 2 years ago...it took her about 4 or 5 mos to get any spring in her step. She is now experiencing some bowel problems but will not have any thing confirmed...she says whatever will be will be......She today, at 81-1/2 looks fine, got back all her weight and her demeanor improved....but we will see P.S....She refused all treatment after her surgery

Question: What aspect of colon cancer would be interesting to present to an audience? Colon cancer in a specific country (what country do you think would be best to discuss about) Pllllzzzzzzzz give me ideas!!! :D Thx!!!!

Answer: In a specific country? It's interesting to note that the incidence of colon cancer is highest in the westernized countries of North America, Northern Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. And it's even more interesting to note that when a developing country adopts a Western diet, colon cancer rates rise. Would this be something that you could present to an audience?

Question: What are some good things to cook for someone with colon cancer? My moms best friend has colon cancer and is coming to town for a week and i wanna make sure she has good food that isnt gunna upset her stumich or anything. What should i keep in mind while putting together a plan?

Answer: hey there...well u can take help from this site...i was goin thru it someday and found it really interesting http://colon-cancer.emedtv.com/colon-cancer/colon-cancer-recipes.html....i hope it helps u...enjoy and tc

Question: If my family has a history of colon cancer, how early should I start getting tested? My mom had colon cancer and I was just wondering if there was a certain age that it is recommended I should get checked out. Thanks!

Answer: You have not mentioned your age, even then you should have contact your doctor periodically at least once in 2 years and have the tests done to ensure you do not have the disease. The U.S. Multisociety Task Force on Colorectal Cancer recommends the following screening options: * Annual fecal occult blood testing * Flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years * Annual fecal occult blood testing plus flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years * Double contrast barium enema every five years * Colonoscopy every 10 years More frequent or earlier screening may be recommended if you're thought to have a high risk of colon cancer. Explore the benefits and risks of each screening option with your doctor. Together you can determine which colon cancer screening option is best for you. One factor to consider is whether your health insurance provider covers colon cancer screening.-

Question: has anyone had the laproscopic surgery for colon cancer? My doctor is planning on doing the laproscopic surgery for colon cancer and I was wondering if anyone in here had had this?

Answer: yes I have had laproscopic surgery for colon cancer ,3 yrs ago was out of the hospital on the fourth morning after the surgery ,quick recovery.

Question: What are the very early symptoms of colon cancer? My mother died from this when she was 31, as she was diagnosed too late. I'm 20 and have just been diagnosed with a possibility of having Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Seeing as I've heard colonic cancer is genetic, should I be getting checked out the possibility of cancer? Also, for people who have suffered from colon cancer- what were the earliest symptoms that you got? I don't mean to sound like a hypochondriac-it's just I don't want to find out too late like my mother did.

Answer: The problem with colon cancer is that it shows no symptoms at early stages. It only starts showing when it's advanced. The symptoms are: - Blood flecks in your stools, particularly if the blood is dark or plum-coloured. This is the most commonly noticed symptom and should never be ignored. - A change in your regular bowel habits, such as constipation or diarrhoea, that's severe or lasts for two weeks or more. - Abdominal pain or discomfort that lasts for two weeks or more. - Unexplained weight loss. To get cancer at a young age it is most likely genetic. I'm going to see a genetic doctor because I was diagnosed at 20. If any close relative has had colon cancer at a young age, you should ensure your doctor rules that out, instead of diagnosing you without any tests for cancer. I was told I probably have IBS, but luckily, she wanted to do more tests to be on the safe side. Although some people do get it at a young age without there being a genetic factor involved.

Question: My moms doctor says that colon cancer can not metasize to the brain without affecting the liver.Is that true? Two months after a colectomy,my mom recently had a brain scan which showed 2 nodules in the left parietal lobe.The doctors have ruled out TB and toxoplasmosis.Her doctor says that colon cancer can not spread to her brain without affecting the liver.Is that True?

Answer: First of all, good luck to you and your mother in what must be a very difficult time. Your mothers' doctor was correct. The way cancer spreads is that cancerous cells break off from the main tumor and spread via the bloodstream. The entirety of your blood volume is filtered through your liver before returning to the rest of the body; therefore, it is virtually impossible for foreign matter such as cancerous cells to pass through the liver without being trapped. I hope this clarifies things for you. To Denisedd: To be sure, where serious health conditions such as this are involved a second opinion is always a good idea, and you make a good point that cancer certainly is an unpredictable disease. In trying to simplify things for the poster, I evidently left out too much information. GENERALLY SPEAKING you are correct... cancer does not ALWAYS met. to the liver. Things such as type of cancer, blood flow/routes to the involved region, co morbidity, and other factors come into play which can cause other organs to be involved while leaving the liver relatively intact.... but the doctor said "affect the liver", not "met. to the liver" it is perfectly reasonable to expect some affect on the liver, even if it does not actually become cancerous.... if half the circulation through the liver is cut off by sloughed off cells, that would certainly be enough to "affect" the liver, don't you think? ...although I suppose a better choice of words would have been "it is highly unlikely that colon cancer would..." as opposed to "colon cancer can not..." At any rate, the doctor has access to her chart and the weeks, months, or year's worth of information contained therein... and all we have to go on is a single paragraph. It's actually a bit presumptuous for us to say one way or another whether he's right or wrong.

Question: What are some of the signs you have colon cancer? What are some of the signs when you first get colon cancer and if you wait a couple years and find out you have colon cancer what are the different signs?

Answer: Colon cancer is a silent disease. I was diagnosed with advanced stage IV colon cancer at the age of 40 in Jan 2006. My only long term symptom was constipation (20 + years) . A couple of months prior to diagnosis I had bloating and cramping. My GP, and GI specialist were not concerned about cc, only motility issues. Well, the colonoscopy showed different. Wendy www.wendysbattle.com

Question: How long would a 5mm adenomatous colon polyp take to turn into malignant cancer? I had one removed, and now I need to go back for yearly screenings. I'm just wondering had I not gone, how many more years it would have taken to turn into colon cancer.

Answer: We think the time frame from earliest genetic changes to frank cancer is something like 7-10 yrs in colorectal cancer.

Question: How old do you have to be to develop colon cancer? I'm 22 years old and I'm having some problems. I have streaks of blood in my stools and I;m having a hard time going to the bathroom. I keep getting constipated. I eat fiber rich oatmeal and fiber bars almost everyday and I still have issues. I'm constantly bloated and gassy. Could this be colon cancer?

Answer: i'd say go to your doctor, just to be on the safe side

Question: Is it possible to have colon cancer so young? My husband has every symptom listed of colon cancer except for weight loss, but he is only 31 years old. This just can't be right... I made him get checked out today and now we are just waiting for a specialist to to look at his colon next week.

Answer: Colon cancer can occur at any age, but the symptoms are far more commonly displayed by lesser illnesses. Colonic cancers are more prevalent in older patients, but there has been an increase in the number of younger patients who follow a western style diet high in processed foods. "Common illnesses are common" is one of the first things quoted to medical students, and there are many common ailments which singly or in combination can cause all of the symptoms of colonic cancer. Accurate diagnosis involves taking tissue samples for microscopic examination and the process in which this is done can be a bit uncomfortable but is not painful. The internet and self-diagnosis can in many ways be more worrying than the illness itself. Stop assuming it's cancer and let the expert make a diagnosis. Even if your worst fears are realised, then early detection and modern treatment ensure a high survival rate; treatments have dramatically improved even in the three years that I've been interested in oncology.

Question: what are the odds that my boyfriend has colon cancer? my boyfriend recently told me that he has a long history of colon cancer with the males in his family. im not sure if he shows any symptoms of it,but im just worried. every 14 years all of the men in their family get a check up for it,just to make sure. i don't know if im making a big deal out of it,but i just want to make sure he's ok.do you think that he might have it?

Answer: I would say the best thing for you to do is relax. Ask him to check to make sure there isn't traces of blood in his feces. Scants of red blood could mean that a polyp is open. A polyp is a sign of rectal and colon cancer. If he is being checked out however there shouldn't be anything to worry about. He may also want to change his diet to include foods that support a healthy colon. try www.mayoclinic.com

Question: When you have stage 4 colon cancer and you are undergoing chemo is it hard or can you work? I have an inlaw that underwent a recurring surgery to have his colon removed. His cancer has spreaded to his liver.

Answer: "Panda" is the top answerer in this category, but I have to disagree with her statement that "stage IV disease . . . means that it will be more difficult to treat and take longer than a stage 1 .. that's all." Colon cancer metastatic to the liver is not likely to be cured in any medical center. Chemotherapy is usually given to buy some time - often in terms of extra months rather than many years. The chemotherapy given for colon carcinoma is usually better tolerated than more aggressive regimens used for other types of cancer. I have had some patients tolerate 5FU based chemo regimens well enough to work if they wanted to - usually they did not. Often it is the advancing malignancy in the liver that leads to weakness and weight loss plus lack of energy and decreased activity level. Added note re: Lola's answer (which is otherwise fine) - I've never heard a stage "five" cancer. Stage four means the cancer has spread to distant areas - such as the liver in this case. There is no stage beyond stage four. And stage does refer to the malignant disease - not to the treatment - though the treatment is tailored to the stage of the disease. These are small points. What you want to know is that the treatment is usually not very rough. If your family member is in good shape, he may have some good quality time left. If there is truly significant liver involvement, many years of survival would be unusual. Survival does vary with the level of involvement. The National Cancer Institute indicates that people with three or fewer lesions in the liver can do better.for longer periods -- perhaps 25% survival at five years compared to less than 5% survival at five years for more extensive liver involvement Correcting myself - Lola is correct. If you count stage 0, there are five stages - - but stage four is the last stage. Also - of course no doctor is God and no one can say when someone will die. We can only provide information about the usual outcomes based on previous people. I did not use the word "terminal" in my cancer specialty medicine practice. All of us are terminal. There are always people who do better than average.

Question: What is they best way to prevent colon and prostate cancer ? My boyfriend is 33 and he is concerned with getting cancer because one of his co-workers recently died from colon cancer and he was only 30 years old!!!

Answer: Fish oils help prevent prostate cancer BETHESDA, MARYLAND. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is a major component of flax seed oil and has been associated with significant cardiovascular benefits. Some studies, however, have shown that a high intake of ALA is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. A prestigious team of researchers from the National Cancer Institute, the Harvard Medical School, the Harvard School of Public Health, and the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm has just released the results of a study aimed at settling the controversy as to whether or not ALA is detrimental when it comes to prostate cancer. The researchers also determined the effect of other fatty acids, including fish oils, on prostate cancer risk. ****** Please NOTE**** The evidence is now indeed overwhelming that selenium helps protect against prostate cancer. While this study concluded that the protection mainly involves slowing down tumor progression, other studies have shown that selenium also helps prevent initiation of the cancer. Thus daily supplementation with 200 micrograms of selenium should be an integral part of all supplementation programs for men. Each year some 40,000 American men die of prostate cancer because the disease is not detected early enough. In its most treatable stages, prostate cancer usually has no symptoms, which means regular screening is absolutely crucial. Below, Doctor Daniel Shasha, an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Doctor Robert Salant, an Associate Professor of Urology at the NYU School of Medicine, offer some information about the importance of prostate cancer screening and the common fears that surround it. This information could truly save your life.